Random Facts
Navajo men did not grow these on their faces.
beards/facial hair
“Kill every enemy twice... Better than gettin' shot by a soldier pretending to be dead.”
Wilky Bitsy
During the war, when would the Japanese most likely attack?
At night
To whom is Kii Yazhi telling his story to?
His grandchildren.
This word means "house" in the Navajo language.
hogan
How old was Ned when he WANTED to become a Marine?
15 years old.
“I wish you had been there with me in that picture,” he used to say to Wilsie and me. “It is so lonely being there forever without another Indian.”
Ira Hayes
How old was Ned when he joined the Marines?
16 years old
Who is the narrator of Code Talker?
Ned Begay/Kii Yazhi
What does "bilinganaa" mean in English?
White people
Name 1 of Ned's friends.
Smitty, Georgia Boy, Wilsy Bitsy, etc.
“Strong words outlast the paper they are written upon."
Joseph Bruchac
How old was Ned when he went to boarding school?
6 years old.
Why does Kii Yazhi have to go away to school?
He needs to learn the ways and language of the white people so that he can help his own people.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
What is the main character's name in Navajo?
Kii Yazhi
What country did Ned choose to write about for his high school history report?
Japan
“So, when all of our people did not stop raiding, the Americans made war on all of the Navajos. They burned our crops, killed our livestock, and cut down our peach trees. They drove our people into exile. They sent us on the Long Walk.”
Ned's Uncle
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
What year did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor?
1941
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!
Why were the Navajo children afraid to look the white men in the face when they were yelling at them?
In their culture, you were supposed to look down when you had done something for which you felt ashamed.
What does "wolachi" mean? (Hint: this was the nickname Ned's uncle gave to him for his small size.)
Ant
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
How did Kii Yazhi end up with the name Ned Begay?
The teacher assigned them first names and he gave him a last name that sounded like his Navajo name.
"Though it may be necessary at times to defend our people, war is a sickness that must be cured. War is a time out of balance. When it is truly over, we must work to restore peace and sacred harmony once again."
Ned Begay
What year did the Long Walk happen? (get within 20 years)
1860s
What was the first English word/phrase that the Navajo children learned to speak?
Hello
What is one of the Navajo's superstitions that Ned mentioned in the novel?
Sea monsters, touching the dead, eating fish, etc.