Bruchac, J. (2005). Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two. Penguin young Readers Group.
During WWII the Americans struggled to create a code that was unbreakable by the Japanese. They needed a language that was only known to them and connected to no other one. They found that language in a group that was forced to not speak it, the Navajo. Ned Begay lived his life told that his culture and language were wrong and he should adopt the American way, until the military calls. The Navajo language will be used to help win the war against the Japanese.
The book fits extremely well making several connections to younger students. The book exposes what Native people go through often in America through this young lens of Ned. THe book shows the duty of the Navajo despite the, and other Indigenous people, poor mistreatment by the American government.
This book is great tool to expose hidden narratives in America showing the horrors of the past and the current problems impacting Indigenous people. Ned goes through some usual high school experiences, but he is treated much worse being a Native American. It is a great mirror for Indigenous students and a great window for all other students to see how poorly we’ve treated Native Americans in our country.
The book could easily be used during a WWII unit to focus on who helped win the war. There are several ‘Code Talker� activities out there to pair with this text. The book also could be used as a way to show who fought in these wars, not just the battles and weapons used. Teachers of history often leave out the most important parts of history; people. This give a great look into the times during WWII when there was a ton of peer pressure to sacrifice your life for country. While its functional, author Joseph Bruchac does an amazing job recreating what it was like to live during a time of extreme patriotism and the challenges if you didn’t live and breathe that mantra.
During WWII the Americans struggled to create a code that was unbreakable by the Japanese. They needed a language that was only known to them and connected to no other one. They found that language in a group that was forced to not speak it, the Navajo. Ned Begay lived his life told that his culture and language were wrong and he should adopt the American way, until the military calls. The Navajo language will be used to help win the war against the Japanese.
The book fits extremely well making several connections to younger students. The book exposes what Native people go through often in America through this young lens of Ned. THe book shows the duty of the Navajo despite the, and other Indigenous people, poor mistreatment by the American government.
This book is great tool to expose hidden narratives in America showing the horrors of the past and the current problems impacting Indigenous people. Ned goes through some usual high school experiences, but he is treated much worse being a Native American. It is a great mirror for Indigenous students and a great window for all other students to see how poorly we’ve treated Native Americans in our country.
The book could easily be used during a WWII unit to focus on who helped win the war. There are several ‘Code Talker� activities out there to pair with this text. The book also could be used as a way to show who fought in these wars, not just the battles and weapons used. Teachers of history often leave out the most important parts of history; people. This give a great look into the times during WWII when there was a ton of peer pressure to sacrifice your life for country. While its functional, author Joseph Bruchac does an amazing job recreating what it was like to live during a time of extreme patriotism and the challenges if you didn’t live and breathe that mantra.