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Primary
US National Archives

Nara: Teaching With Documents: Memorandum Regarding Enlistment of Navajo Indians

For Students 9th - 10th
A fascinating description of the background behind the recruitment of Navajo speakers as code talkers in World War II. Included is the document from General Clayton Vogel who recommended the development of the use of code talkers, and...
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Website
Other

Texas Military Forces Museum: Choctaw: Codetalkers

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the long history of Choctaw tribal members working in alliance with the United States military.
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Website
Other

Army: Native Americans in the u.s. Army: Code Talkers

For Students 9th - 10th
During World War I and World War II, Native Americans from various tribes worked to keep American military communications secret through the use of tribal languages as code. Learn how these individuals worked to create codes that the...
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Website
Other

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the history of the first Native American code talkers from the Choctaw Nation. Includes profiles of those who worked with the United States government during World War I and World War II.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of the American Indian: Native Words, Native Warriors

For Students 9th - 10th
Excellent online companion site to a traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibition on the World War I & World War II American Indian Code Talkers. Features information on Native languages, boarding schools, code talking, and lesson...
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of the American Indian: Native Words: Code Talking

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn how members of many Native American tribes became a vital part of America's efforts during World War I and World War II, divising codes that were never broken by the enemy. Includes examples of encoded words.
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Website
Other

Defense: American Indian Heritage Month: Code Talkers

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the Native Americans who used their tribal languages as code during World War I and World War II. Includes information on Charles Chibitty, a Comanche code talker who was inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.
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Website
US Senate

U.s. Senate: Jeff Bingaman: Explore New Mexico: Navajo Code Talkers

For Students 9th - 10th
The United States military adopted the Navajo language to aid in their top secret communications amongst each other during World War II. In 2001, the first twenty-nine Navajo Code Talkers were awarded Gold Medals of Honor by President...
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Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Code Talker

For Students 9th - 10th
This encyclopedia entry from Wikipedia explores the role of Native American code talkers during World War II. Content focuses on how the code was developed, as well as why the code remained unbroken throughout the duration of the war.
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Handout
Other

Le Code Navajo

For Students 9th - 10th
In French, read about the Navajo specialists who used their language to help defeat the Japanese in WWII. These Native Americans saved 1000s of lives with their spy code skills.
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Code Talker" by Joseph Bruchac

For Students 5th - 8th
When Ned Begay hears that Navajos are being recruited for World War II, he jumps at the chance to join the Marine Corps, and finds himself brought into a secret program that uses Navajo language to send codes. Selected (7) reading...
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Website
Other

Lapahie.com: The Navajo Code Talkers

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, a tribute to the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II, offers extensive information about the history of Navajo Code Talkers, the code itself, and medals and awards received for duty. Other content includes a photo gallery,...
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Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Osu History Teaching Institute: Code Talkers the Navajo Soldiers of Wwii

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This lesson plan explores the unique role that the Navajo secret codes played in winning WWII.
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Handout
Scholastic

Scholastic: Code Talker Discussion Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource is a discussion guide for Joseph Bruchac's book, Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War II.
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: Ww2 Navajo Code Talkers

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover the role of Navajo Code Talkers in WW2 through a summary and 27 detailed facts.