Navajo Culture In Code Talker

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As the hot sun beats down on the back of a Native American, he continues forward with one thing on his mind. Providing food for his family. Though the sun is hot and he is tired from all of his morning chores, he knows that there are more important things to be done, rather than achieving a state of comfortability for himself. Always moving forward, no matter the task or condition, the Native American has one thing on his mind, and that is his family. Within the culture of a Navajo Indian tribe, family always comes first no matter the case or consequence. From the day they are born to the day he or she dies, a Navajo Indian is taught to provide, protect, support, and respect his or her family at all cost. Family life is one of the most…show more content…
A hogan is a circular structure often made of logs, stones, or cement, with a heat source featured in the center of the home. Many of the important Navajo social values are often presented within the hogan. The Navajos believe in having a formal and respectful relationship with all of their relatives. Though a young Navajo may have more respect for and elder relative, Navajos show an equal amount of respect for all their family. Traditionally Navajos have a strong sense of family allegiance and obligation. This obligation will often lead Navajos to put the needs of their family above their own. In the novel Code Talker, we are presented with some ways that a Navajo may help his or her family and the United States. One of which a young Navajo child may be sent away to school, in order to learn English. Language is a huge part of Navajo society. A Navajo that speaks both Navajo and English is highly respected because he or she will be able to translate at trading posts. Just as the young boy in the novel had to do, Navajos also helped the United States win World War II. The Navajos contribution during the war was developing a secret code using their native language, hence the title of the…show more content…
Nava is believed to be an ancient word for cultivating fields and “hu” meaning the mouths of canyons” (Dehyle 8). The Navajo Indians can be traced back to prehistoric times, starting in the Northern New Mexico. The Navajo Indians were first settled in the Northern New Mexico territories, where a large portion of their society was hunting and gathering. The Navajo Indians were later introduced, by the Spanish and puebloans, to farming squash, beans, and corn. Later on in Navajo history, the implication of herding sheep and cattle was introduced. The Navajo Indians were first conflicted with the United States of America in 1846, when their tribe was attacked, during the Mexican and American war. The raid of their tribe only created tension with Mexico and the United States. This single raid created a long chain of battles up until 1861, when the Navajo surrendered. Faced with starvation and death looming the Navajo Indians were forced to walk more than three hundred miles to Fort Sumner where they were interned (Angela Willeto 1). The main determining factor in the surrender of the Navajos Indians was the benefit of the Navajo Indians. A Navajo Indians will fight until he or she is dead, however when the live of their family and tribe are also on the line, the Navajos found it best to surrender, to stop the tragic killings of their people. The voyage to a new land is a dark time in the
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