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Secret Language

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National

American
Indian Heritage
Month!

PRAISING THE EFFORTS OF


NATIVE AMERICAN CODE TALKERS

T
alking in code aided the U.S. A group of Choctaw soldiers in
in winning two m^or wars the U.S. Army had the perfect solu-
and helped to save thousands tion. They created a secret code Important Honor
of lives. Now, lawmakers based on their native language. "These unique languages are
are honoring the Native American Choctaw was unfamiliar to the important to our nation," says Judy
soldiers who used their unique lan- Germans, and they were unable to Allen, a Choctaw tribal official. "In
guages to create the secret codes. break the code. the past, many Native Americans
The soldiers were known as "code Like many Native American lan- were beaten and punished for speak-
talkers." Congress is honoring them guages, Choctaw is only spoken ing their native languages."
and their tribes with one of the in areas of the United Stiites. Few The Congressional Gold Medal is
nation's highest civilian awardsthe people outside the tribal community well-deserved, Allen says.
Congressional Gold Medal. speak Choctaw. These factors made "I think this is important because
Choctaw an excellent code language. it not only [honors] a military con-
Talking in Code The code worked so well for the U.S. tribution, but it also honore tlie fact,
During World War I (1914-1918), during World War I that the nation that they used their native language,"
the U.S. and its allies in Europe sought out Native American soldiers Allen says.
fought Germany and its allies. The to make similar codes during World In 2001, the U.S. gave congress-
U.S. had a major problem. The War II (1939-1945). ional medals to Naviyo Marines who
German military was successfully
intercepting U.S. military
communications. Information about
U.S. troop locations and battle plans
was getting into enemy hands. The
U.S. needed a code that the Germans
could not crack.

verb.
To stop the movement of something
before it gets to its destination.
convert: (kuhn-vurt) verb. To
make something into something else.

4. SCHOLASTIC NEWS / NOVEMBER 3, 2008


1 ^

served as code talkers during World tribe will receive a gold medal.
War II. The current effort awards Duplicate silver medals will go to
modals to all Native American code
talkei-s iuul tJieir tribes.
individual code talkers, or their fami-
lies if the honore is no longer alive.
t's the
Few people receive a Congres- Code talkers were great exampies
sional Gold Medal. It is one of the top of patriotism, and the Choctaw are How well do you understand
U.S. awards for people who are not, very proud of them, says Choctaw what you've just read? Test
or are no longer, in the military. Con- Chief Gregory Pyle. yourself with these reading-
gress votes to give the awards. Then, "They were willing to leave their comprehension questions!
tlie President must agree. George homes and families to protect their
Washington, the nation's first Presi- country," Chief Pyle says. "The ' How did code talkers
dent, received the first such medal in original code talkers were also contribute to U.S. efforts
177G. He was honored for his service
leading colonial soldiers during the
great examples of being true to in World War I and II? m
themselves, speaking the language What is Paragraph 3 mainly
Revolutionary War. they were most comfortable with. about? ri
The U.S. Mint designs the medals. Because these men were overheard
Each medal is unique and represents speaking Choctaw, the language was Which sentence(s) In the
the specific individual and event converted into code ... effectively story suggest(s) the U.S.
being honored. Each code talker's conftising the enemy." has not always valued
F. RomaU Smalls Native Americans?
What detail(s) in the story 3P
suggest(s) that receiving m
Native American languages, such as Choctaw, were
a Congressional Gold
Medal is rare? w
X used to create secret military code. This chart shows
A military words in English, the Choctaw words used as
^ code, and the literal Choctaw translation:
regiment oKIa (ohk-la)
ammunition ! uski naki (oss-keh nah-keh) If you were a member of
attack ittlbbi (eht-tib-beh) Congress, whom would you
honor with a Congressional
patrol tikba pisa lawa (tik-ba peh-sa la-wa) many scouts Gold Medal? Why?
poison gas mahli okpulo (meh-le ohk-poh-lo) bad air lili
SCHOLASTIC NEWS / NOVEMBER 3, 2008 5

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