Characters
The protagonist of Code Talker.
Who is Ned Begay
This major global conflict is the primary setting for the "Code Talkers" important mission.
What is World War II
The type of school Ned first attends where speaking Navajo is forbidden
What is a mission/boarding school?
The stories told by Ned’s elders about Navajo warriors symbolize this important theme.
What is the value of tradition or courage?)
This word means a system of symbols or words used for communication, like the Navajo Code.
What is code?
This family member of Ned reminds him of the importance of Navajo traditions and values before he leaves for school.
Who is Ned's uncle?
The branch of military service the protagonist joins to become a Code Talker.
What is the Marine Corps?
The initial setting where Ned begins his educational journey under strict cultural suppression.
What is the boarding school?
The concept of “harmony” in Navajo culture represents this key idea in Ned’s life.
What is balance or unity?
A Navajo word meaning 'warrior' or 'one who serves'
What is 'Hastiin'?
The teacher who initially punished Ned for speaking Navajo.
Who is Mr. Reamer?
The primary method that made the Navajo Code Talkers unique.
What is speaking in an unbreakable Navajo code?
Ned shows this character trait by excelling in school and keeping pride in his heritage despite the boarding school’s rules.
What is resilience?
The traditional Navajo ceremony that helps restore balance and healing.
What is a Blessing Way ceremony?
A term describing the internal struggle a character experiences.
What is conflict?
He recruited Ned into the Marines.
Who is First Sergeant Frank Shinn/Who is the Marine recruiter visiting the Navajo reservation.
Ned learns about this type of discrimination faced by Native Americans both in and out of the military.
What is prejudice?
Ned experiences this internal conflict when he realizes he must keep his language secret but also feels pride in it.
What is cultural identity vs. assimilation?
The conflict between traditional Navajo culture and American assimilation.
What is cultural identity vs. forced assimilation?
A word meaning the process of changing or developing something into a more advanced state.
What is transformation?
The family member who most influences Ned's understanding of Navajo culture.
Who is his grandfather?
This language, spoken by Ned and other Navajos, becomes the foundation for a secret wartime code.
What is Navajo?
The military training location where Ned and other Code Talkers first learn their specialized communication technique.
What is Camp Pendleton?
The traditional practice of storytelling that passes down Navajo history and wisdom.
What is oral tradition?
A complex term describing the systematic discrimination against a particular racial or cultural group.
What is marginalization?