National

American
Indian Heritage
Month!

PRAISING THE EFFORTS OF

NATIVE AMERICAN CODE TALKERS

T
alking in code aided the U.S.
in winning two m^or wars
and helped to save thousands
of lives. Now, lawmakers
are honoring the Native American
soldiers who used their unique lan-
guages to create the secret codes.
The soldiers were known as "code
talkers." Congress is honoring them
and their tribes with one of the
nation's highest civilian awardsthe
Congressional Gold Medal.
Talking in Code
During World War I (1914-1918),
the U.S. and its allies in Europe
fought Germany and its allies. The
U.S. had a major problem. The
German military was successfully
intercepting U.S. military
communications. Information about
U.S. troop locations and battle plans
was getting into enemy hands. The
U.S. needed a code that the Germans
could not crack.
A group of Choctaw soldiers in
the U.S. Army had the perfect solu-
tion. They created a secret code
based on their native language.
Choctaw was unfamiliar to the
Germans, and they were unable to
break the code.
Like many Native American lan-
guages, Choctaw is only spoken
in areas of the United Stiites. Few
people outside the tribal community
speak Choctaw. These factors made
Choctaw an excellent code language.
The code worked so well for the U.S.
during World War I that the nation
sought out Native American soldiers
to make similar codes during World
War II (1939-1945).
Important Honor
"These unique languages are
important to our nation," says Judy
Allen, a Choctaw tribal official. "In
the past, many Native Americans
were beaten and punished for speak-
ing their native languages."
The Congressional Gold Medal is
well-deserved, Allen says.
"I think this is important because
it not only [honors] a military con-
tribution, but it also honore tlie fact,
that they used their native language,"
Allen says.
In 2001, the U.S. gave congress-
ional medals to Naviyo Marines who

verb.
To stop the movement of something
before it gets to its destination.
convert: (kuhn-vurt) verb. To
make something into something else.

4. SCHOLASTIC NEWS / NOVEMBER 3, 2008

 1 ^

served as code talkers during World tribe will receive a gold medal.
War II. The current effort awards Duplicate silver medals will go to
modals to all Native American code
talkei-s iuul tJieir tribes.
individual code talkers, or their fami-
lies if the honore is no longer alive.
t's the
Few people receive a Congres- Code talkers were great exampies
sional Gold Medal. It is one of the top of patriotism, and the Choctaw are How well do you understand
U.S. awards for people who are not, very proud of them, says Choctaw what you've just read? Test
or are no longer, in the military. Con- Chief Gregory Pyle. yourself with these reading-
gress votes to give the awards. Then, "They were willing to leave their comprehension questions!
tlie President must agree. George homes and families to protect their
Washington, the nation's first Presi- country," Chief Pyle says. "The ' How did code talkers
dent, received the first such medal in original code talkers were also contribute to U.S. efforts
177G. He was honored for his service
leading colonial soldiers during the
great examples of being true to in World War I and II? m
themselves, speaking the language What is Paragraph 3 mainly
Revolutionary War. they were most comfortable with. about? ri
The U.S. Mint designs the medals. Because these men were overheard
Each medal is unique and represents speaking Choctaw, the language was Which sentence(s) In the
the specific individual and event converted into code ... effectively story suggest(s) the U.S.
being honored. Each code talker's conftising the enemy." has not always valued
F. RomaU Smalls Native Americans?
What detail(s) in the story 3P
suggest(s) that receiving m
Native American languages, such as Choctaw, were
a Congressional Gold
Medal is rare? w
X used to create secret military code. This chart shows
A military words in English, the Choctaw words used as
^ code, and the literal Choctaw translation:
regiment oKIa (ohk-la)
ammunition ! uski naki (oss-keh nah-keh) If you were a member of
attack ittlbbi (eht-tib-beh) Congress, whom would you
honor with a Congressional
patrol tikba pisa lawa (tik-ba peh-sa la-wa) many scouts Gold Medal? Why?
poison gas mahli okpulo (meh-le ohk-poh-lo) bad air lili
SCHOLASTIC NEWS / NOVEMBER 3, 2008 5