![]() He refers to the names the other marines call him and his fellow Navajo friends, like “Chief”, and talks about how much it bothers him. ![]() He teaches the reader the importance of ceremony in the Navajo culture, paying special attention to the “Blessingway” or protection ceremony, which Ned thinks back to during the war for strength. He speaks of the Navajo culture with respect and admiration, telling of their beautiful brown skin, and shiny dark hair (which they are forced to cut for war- a huge deal), all while avoiding making them sound like a caricature or parody of the typical Americanized image of an “Indian”. From the way in which he sets the story- told by the main character fifty-years after the fact to his grandchildren, to the importance and weight he puts on the fact that the code talkers were a classified organization, it is evident he thought carefully about how to bring this story alive. The research Joseph Bruchac conducted to weave together this novel must have been expansive and arduous. ![]() The very language he was forced to leave behind in his schooling helped him to save many lives. Ironically, once he becomes an adult he becomes a “code talker” for the Marines, where he utilizes his Navajo and English language skills to interpret coded messages being passed in World War II. ![]() ![]() He learns quickly that his native language and customs are taboo, and he adapts to the way of his peers. ISBN: 0803729219.Īt six-years old, Kii Yazhi (later renamed Ned Begay) is sent to a school where the “white man” will teach him. ![]()
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