Navajo Code Talkers Henry Bake and George Kirk, Operating a Portable Radio Set in the South Pacific, 1943
Chosen for their complex language and stereotypes of being strong “warriors”, the Navajo Tribe is one of the many Native American groups who were employed during World War II as code talkers, a method of secret communication. However after their many achievements, it took a couple decades for America, a country that exploited their language and culture, to thank and honor these code talkers for their service. This is just one example of the struggles Native Americans have faced after a cultural genocide and centuries of having their hardships ignored, thus causing lasting effects on Native Americans today.
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My wartime experiences developing a code that utilized the Navajo language taught how important our Navajo culture is to our country. For me that is the central lesson: that diverse cultures can make a country richer and stronger."
- Chester Nez, one of the Original 29 Code Talkers
Chester Nez, Last of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of World War II. WTKR.
Natalie Ham
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