This assignment provides a detailed review and critique of the Navajo code talkers. They used the Navajo language as a secret code during the war against Japan. The use of Navajo was because Navajo is an unwritten language of extreme complexity. However, there were controversies about these code talkers of World War II (WWII). For example, racial differences resulted in prejudiced assessments. The idea to use Navajo for secure communications came from Philip Johnston. He was the son of a missionary to the Navajos. Johnston was one of the few non-Navajos who spoke their language fluently. The first recruitment of Navajos took place in May 1942. One of the first tasks for these recruits was to develop a Navajo code.
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THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS’ DICTIONARY

When a Navajo code talker received a message, what he heard was a string of seemingly unrelated Navajo words. The code talker first had to translate each Navajo word into its English equivalent. Then he used only the first letter of the English equivalent in spelling an English word. Honoring of the Navajo code talkers of World War II began on 17th September 1992. Thirty-five code talkers attended the dedication of the Navajo code talker exhibit. Additionally, the exhibit includes displays of photographs, equipment, the original code, and an explanation of how the code worked. The process of recruitment of Navajos involved the translation of their languages into implements of war. For example, the names of different birds stood for different kinds of planes.
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REVIEW AND CRITIQUE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CODE AND A SHIFT IN ATTITUDES

During World War II, the U.S government realized the benefits of reassessing their attitudes of Native Americans. The military needed a means of communication that the enemy would be unable to understand. The recruitment of Navajos entailed learning about the complexity and oral distinctiveness of the Navajo language. Demonstrations of the code proved that it had great potential for use in the war. Initially, the basis for recruitment in the military was the ability to speak English. As for Navajo code talkers, recruitment depended on the recruits’ ability to speak the Navajo language. The irony of this situation is that racism reduced now that the minority group was useful for the war.
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