Tushka chipota, paaki and wakaree´e. Those are just a few words that Native American used as code talkers to relay secret messages during World War I and World War II. From Choctaw to Comanche, Hopi to Navajo, their language and bravery played a critical role both on and off the battlefield.
To honor their contributions, Aug. 14 is observed as National Navajo Code Talkers Day. President Ronald Reagan established the day in 1982, also recognizing the efforts of other tribal nations, including the Chippewa, Creek and Sioux.
Many Native Americas joined the U.S. military; some enlisted and others were drafted. Their job was to transmit coded messages in their native languages, which were then relayed to other tribal members or used to develop specialized codes within those languages for combat.
Some tribes even had to invent new words for military equipment that didn’t exist in their traditional vocabulary. Tanks, for example, became “turtles,” and the Comanche word for a dive bomber was gini, meaning chicken hawk.
Not only did the servicemembers master their coded systems, but they also had to learn to set up, operate and maintain communications equipment, often carrying it across rough terrain under dangerous conditions.
It’s a profound irony — and a testament to resilience — that the very languages once banned in U.S. schools became critical to securing victory in two world wars.