Code Talker
A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War II
By Joseph Bruchac
The Earhart Literacy Community Presents
“Strong words outlast the paper they are written on.”
Code Talker is
the story of Ned Begay, a fictional man, of the Navajo/Diné tribe. It’s about how he started his journey in the most difficult of circumstances, but went on to serve in one of the most important roles in World War II in secret - a code talker for the United States military.
the story of Ned Begay, a fictional man, of the Navajo/Diné tribe. It’s about how he started his journey in the most difficult of circumstances, but went on to serve in one of the most important roles in World War II in secret - a code talker for the United States military.
Actual code talkers!
Although Ned is a made-up character, his life is based on the very real experiences of other Native American people.
Some of the events in the story are about boarding schools, enrollment in the Marines, serving in World War II and the horrors that come with war, and the constant struggle of being an American citizen and a member of a Native American tribe.
You can learn so much as you see through his eyes what it must have been like to live through all of it.
His story is heartbreaking, thrilling, exciting, saddening, but ultimately one of triumph and perseverance.
Here are some comments from students:
I like that Ned was brave, but it was hard when he had to go to boarding school. We can be brave every day.
- Penney
It was hard to hear what happened at Saipan, but I learned that you need to keep going when things are hard.
- Brock
I liked the whole thing and I learned a lot about the Marines and World War II.
- Trevan
Although Ned is fictional, he is based on these real, brave men.
For your activity, use the Navajo code to decode my message by using the phrases in Navajo to find the English letters.
After you decode my message, make your own and have a friend decode it.
Lin wol-la-chee cla-gi-aih ne-zhoni tsah-as-zih
dah-nes-tsa dzeh tse-nill chindi tkin tsah jeha!
There are also some coloring pages. Have fun!