MLIS 5653 Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. 2005. Code Talkers. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780439891004
Connect with the Author
http://josephbruchac.com/
CRITICAL ANALYSISBruchac, Joseph. 2005. Code Talkers. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780439891004
Connect with the Author
http://josephbruchac.com/
In Joseph Bruchac's Code Talker, Ned Begay is an old man, telling the story of both himself and the other Navajo Code Talkers from Dinetah during World War II. He starts from the beginning of his formal education at the boarding school in Gallup, and the story concludes when he returns from the war. Bruchac spares no details about the cultural mistreatment of the Navajo children during this time period, from the theft of their jewelry to their beatings for speaking their native tongue. Although he is not a Navajo Native, Bruchac has spent much time with them, and has walked their "Trail of Tears" called the "Long Walk." (He is of Abenaki descent.) He has listened to the elders and their stories and does a magnificent job of weaving those stories (including the actual code talkers) into this historical fiction account of what has been deemed the most important mission of WWII. Authentic in all details, from the corn prayers to the ceremonial dances, Bruchac portrays the Navajo Nation with both respect and dignity while maintaining their fierce loyalty to the American nation despite their discrimination both before and after the war. My absolute favorite part is how he weaves the Catholic religion that the Begay's are part of with their traditional beliefs, and how he uses those elements to create a character who is balanced by his spirituality after the war when so many of the veterans turned to alcohol to cope with what they had witnessed.
The novel's setting begins on the Dinetah Reservation and continues on to many places throughout the world; it closes with his returning to the reservation after Begay's time in the Marines comes to an end. In the beginning, we are taken to Ned's childhood, learning how he first learned English--made to forget his Navajo ancestry. His hair was cut short, he was made to wear White clothing, and was forced to speak only English or be beaten. We see him transform into a model student, becoming "almost as bright as a little White child," and we see his dreams of traveling the world (29). He does have the opportunity to travel the world after a Marine shows upon the reservation to announce the need for Navajo recruits who will complete a very special mission. At first, Bengay is not allowed to know that mission, but eventually it takes him all over the world, the world he has dreamed about during history and geography lessons, even when he is told he is too stupid to go because he is a Navajo.
Culture abounds in Code Talkers. The whole novel is based on the sacredness of the Navajo language. When the Whites tried to wipe it out at boarding school, the children secretly spoke it to each other when they were alone. Through the efforts of a few brave souls, the language was retained during those boarding school years, and it has become evident in modern history that the Allies' victories during WWII were dependent on the secret codes and messages that became lifelines during the war...codes created by the Navajo Code Talkers using this sacred language. Throughout the book, we see words translated, songs sung, ceremonial prayers, dances, etc... using the language. Bruchac spent much time getting this just right, authenticating the language and the culture. We get a brief glimpse into the religion itself through the protection blessing and the balancing ceremony. We see the strong ties of family and the reverence for the elders and nature. I have never read a book that so genuinely details these elements of any Native American culture, and I have read many books related to America's aboriginal nations.
In my opinion, this book is probably the best historical fiction book I have ever read related to our Native cultures. It is full of accurate historical details, balanced good and bad from both the White culture and natives, in-depth knowledge of World War II and its progress, and the Navajo Nation itself. In some places, it is heavy and burdened with so many details that I wanted to put it down and come back to it after I had time to process what I had read. It is a book that needs to be read with plenty of time to comprehend what is happening and let it sink in. It is one that is more apt to be understood by more advanced students with an appreciation of the war. Younger children who do not have the historical background to comprehend this war will quickly lose interest, but for those who have tried hard to right the wrongs committed on the American Tribal Nations, Bruchac masterfully binds together the love of the Navajos for their land and their love of America, including the Navajo Tribal Council Resolution of War in 1940: "...Now therefore, we resolve that the Navajo Indians stand ready as they did in 1918, to aid and defend our government, and its institutions against all subversion and armed conflict and pledge loyalty to the system which recognizes minority rights and a way of life that has placed us among the greatest people of our race" (35).
AWARDS
- West Virginia Children's Book Award (Nominated for an award in 2007)
- Booklist, "...Rooted in his Navajo consciousness and traditions even in dealing with fear, loneliness, and the horrors of the battlefield, Ned tells of his experiences in Hawaii, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The book, addressed to Ned's grandchildren, ends with an author's note about the code talkers as well as lengthy acknowledgments and a bibliography. The narrative pulls no punches about war's brutality and never adopts an avuncular tone..." (C) February 15, 2005.
- Voice of Youth Advocates, "...When the United States enters World War II, sixteen-year-old Ned lies about his age and enlists in the Marines. Because he still remembers his own language despite his re-education efforts at the hands of whites, Ned is selected to become one of the Navajo Marines who use a complex native language to create an unbreakable code for wartime communication. Together with others of his people, the young Marine is sent into the bloody Pacific Theater, seeing action at Guam, Iwo Jima, Suribachi, and Okinawa. Bruchac's fictional Ned Begay represents all the Navajo Marines who, despite their treatment by white America, fought valiantly in foreign wars..." (C) April 1, 2005
- School Library Journal, "In the measured tones of a Native American storyteller, Bruchac assumes the persona of a Navajo grandfather telling his grandchildren about his World War II experiences. Protagonist Ned Begay starts with his early schooling at an Anglo boarding school, where the Navajo language is forbidden, and continues through his Marine career as a "code talker," explaining his long silence until "de-classified" in 1969. Begay's lifelong journey honors the Navajos and other Native Americans in the military, and fosters respect for their culture. 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..."(C) May. 1, 2005.
CONNECTIONS
Use as an introduction to Native-American Indians/Navajos, storytelling, World War II, Code Talkers, treaties, Native-American religion, Marines/Military, and Japan/Axis power.
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/code-talker-discussion-guide/
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?a=1&tid=1462
https://www.varsitytutors.com/englishteacher/code-talker
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2213.shtml
Other Joseph Bruchac titles to read:
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?a=1&tid=1462
https://www.varsitytutors.com/englishteacher/code-talker
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2213.shtml
Other Joseph Bruchac titles to read:
- Eagle Song ISBN 1632451034
- Long River ISBN 1555912133
- The Arrow Over the Door ISBN 0756910471
Gather more Native-American titles:
· Sweeney, Joyce. Waiting for June ISBN 0761453296
· Gammell, Stephen. Dancing Tee Pees: Poems of American Indian Youth ISBN 0823408795
· Stevens, Marcus. Useful Girl ISBN 1565123662· Sweeney, Joyce. Waiting for June ISBN 0761453296
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