Code Talker

At many points in the book, Begay reflects on his experiences at boarding school and in war, and how he maintained his Navajo rituals and prayers even when pressed to abandon them. How do you think that being Navajo shapes Ned’s experience of the war? How do you think a non-Indigenous account of the code-talker experience would differ?

The Navajo people occupied North America for a long time before white settlers came and displaced them, bringing suffering and hardship to Indigenous Americans. The history of the Indigenous relationship to the US government is fraught with broken promises and cruelty. And yet, during World War Two, many in the Navajo tribe are eager to serve in support of the United States. What do you make of this Navajo patriotism?

Begay gives examples of Navajo rituals and ceremonies and also details tribal traditions. How is the Navajo language related to Navajo culture on the whole? How might maintaining knowledge of the language also effectively preserve the culture?

When Ned leaves home to attend the mission school, his mother is dressed in her finest clothes and is wearing jewelry. The jewelry that Ned takes with him to boarding school is confiscated and later sold. Why do you think Ned includes these details in the story? What does the Navajo jewelry symbolize?

From a very early age, Navajo children who attend the mission school are forced to abandon their family culture and assimilate into non-Indigenous culture and language. Some of the families on the reservation convert to Catholicism. Do you think Ned assimilates? Why or why not?

The idea of monsters arises several times in the text. Some of the monsters are accounted for by Navajo lore and mythology, but Ned also uses the term when referring more broadly to the unknown. What’s the significance of monsters in this story? How does Ned’s Navajo background inform how he thinks about monsters?

Ned often refers to his small stature when he talks about himself, saying that he never grew much taller than five feet. How do you think his size relates to his character and the choices he makes in his life? Why does he bring it up so often?

The history of code-talking is not taught broadly in history curriculum even today, long after the program was declassified. What other omissions does Code Talker bring up?