Tribute to Navajo Code Talkers by artist Doug Hyde, created in 1989 in downtown Phoenix. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2018703819
Check out GoWYLD to learn more about National Navajo Code Talkers Day, held each year on August 14. The holiday, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, honors not just the Navajo, but all the tribes associated with the war effort including (but not limited to) Cherokee, Choctaw, Comanche, and Hopi.
The Navajo code depended on the complexity of the Navajo language as well as further encoding the messages (depending on when and where they were sent). These combined factors rendered it impossible to break as a code.
On GoWYLD, select Middle School (Gale In Context) alphabetically or go to Student Research under Subject Areas. On the Middle School main page, search Navajo Code Talkers or scroll down to Browse Topics: U.S. History to locate this topic and many more on people, places, and subjects.
The topic page brings together a collection of material, including an overview and links to multiple source types such as magazine articles, biographies, reference overviews, images, and news items. Note that only one to three items are listed in each source box (articles, images, etc.) — be sure to click on the source header to see all. The topic page is a great resource for background information and includes some Navajo code words.
Learn more about Middle School (Gale In Context) by going to the alphabetical list in the tutorials link (tab) on the far right of the main GoWYLD page.
This resource is available for free at your library or from anywhere using a Wyoming library card and PIN. For more information, about the databases, training, or marketing materials, contact Chris Van Burgh, Wyoming State Library Database Instruction Librarian, chris.vanburgh@wyo.gov.