Talking Code with a Secret Weapon: Navajo Code Talkers Speak

Lives of the unsung heroes of World War II.

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines unaware that they would develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. Dr. Laura Tohe, the daughter of a Navajo Code Talker. shares excerpts from live interviews with the Code Talkers telling their stories before, during, and after the war.  They returned home without fanfare to continued poverty and lack of economic opportunity, yet persevered and overcame obstacles that helped change the Navajo Nation and their communities.  They tell their stories with poignancy that reflect their resiliency and self-determination.

Presenter: Dr. Laura Tohe, Professor Emerita with Distinction, ASU, Navajo Nation Poet Laureate.

McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

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