Code Talker is a historical novel by Joseph Bruchac, an award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Many of Bruchac’s books draw on aspects of his Native American heritage. Although the book is fiction, it is based on historically accurate events.

In the late nineteenth century, the U.S. government proposed to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream white American culture. Code Talker tells the story of Ned Begay, a young Navajo boy who is sent to a boarding school run by the United States government. Children who attended Indian boarding schools were taken from their homes, were forced to cut their hair, wore uniforms rather than traditional clothing, and were forbidden from speaking their native languages or practicing their cultural traditions. They were stripped of their birth names and given Anglo names, which they were required to use at school. They were instructed in Christian teachings and taught that their traditions were inferior. It was thought this would speed the assimilation process.

After Ned finishes school, he becomes a code talker. Code talkers were members of the United States Military who used their native languages to send coded messages back and forth during World War II.

Code Talker reflects on the irony that Native Americans were initially viewed by non-native people as unable to contribute to American culture and yet were called upon to make great sacrifices during the war to aid a government that had mistreated them. Through this book, it is hoped that students will gain a greater appreciation for cultural diversity and increase their understanding of how culture impacts one’s perspective on historical events.

This trade book is published by Speak, an imprint of Penguin Random House. We only offer this title for purchase.