Bibliography
Bruchac, J. (2006). Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. Speak.
Plot Summary
A Navajo grandfather tells his grandchildren about his experiences as a Navajo Code Talker in the Marines during World War II.
Critical Analysis
The book begins with the main character, Ned Begay, leaving the home he has known for his entire six years of life for boarding school. It is jarring to read about how the teachers treated the Navajo children and their disrespect for the culture. “Navajo is no good, of no use at all!’ Principal O’Sullivan shouted at us every day. ‘Only English will help you get ahead in this world!’” (pg 18) Not only were the children separated from their native language, but they were also shorn of their hair. “Cutting your hair was believed to bring misfortune to you. But at mission school they had other beliefs” (pg 19). Then their names were taken from them. They were given names of past presidents and other political leaders or names that sounded like their response when asked their name. “Because that white teacher could not really understand our language, he did not realize that Biye’ in Navajo just means “son of.” So he made Biye’ my last name, although he wrote it as he heard it - Begay.” (pg 22).
After the attack at Pearl Harbor and America joined the war, an announcement was made that Navajo men that spoke both English and Navajo fluently could join the Marines. At fifteen, Ned knew he wanted to serve. However, the starting age was seventeen, and his parents requested that he wait a year before joining up. And wait a year he did. When the recruiters came the next year, Ned was just as willing, if not more so. This time, his parents agreed to his joining the war efforts.
The Navajo language was used during the war to exchange messages that the Japanese couldn’t decipher. The code was to never be written down and the Navajos part in the war effort was kept top secret. “The code went with us everywhere, but only in our memories.” (pg 76)
The remainder of the book describes Ned’s time training and then traveling around the world, fighting the enemy. Even though it is fiction, the book reads more like a nonfiction book and this could be a testament to the amount of research Bruchac put into this novel. Because of this, some spots are a bit dry with reminders that this is a fictional story with the narrator saying something to his grandchildren. However, this is an excellent book to have in the classroom that offers a different perspective on the war on the Pacific front.
Review Excerpt(s)
"With its multicultural themes and well-told WWII history, this will appeal to a wide audience." —Kirkus Reviews
"Bruchac's gentle prose presents a clear historical picture of young men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima. Nonsensational and accurate, Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring..." —School Library Journal
Connections
-Activities
Pair with Secrets of the Code Talkers lesson plans provided by PBS: https://www.pbs.org/wned/warrior-tradition/classroom/secrets-of-the-code-talkers/
Create a class glossary of the Navajo terms defined in the book.
Map out Ned’s adventures during his time as a Marine and create a timeline.
Use the article Finding Nemo Aims to Help Navajo Language Stay Afloat to introduce the book. Discuss reasons for why it was difficult to cast a Navajo Nemo, and why it’s important to continue sharing the language of different cultures.
Axelrod, J. (2015, July 19). “Finding Nemo” aims to help Navajo language stay afloat. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/finding-nemo-aims-to-help-navajo-language-stay-afloat/Watch the video VOA about the young Navajos learning English after the discussion above. Ask if students have heard about the Navajo contributions during WWII.
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