Code Talker

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. For what specific cultural reason was the forced renaming of Navajo children with names such as Lincoln and Washington so shocking?

A) Navajo people do not give children names of the dead.

B) Presidential names were associated with the Long Walk.

C) These names were difficult to pronounce.

D) They caused Navajo children to forget their true names.

2. Why does Ned find the trip from Ft. Defiance to Ft. Wingate unsettling when he enlists in the Marines?

A) He enlists in defiance of his parents’ wishes.

B) Nobody had seen or heard from the first group of recruits.

C) He is afraid he is going to his death.

D) These were the departure point and first stop on the Long Walk.

3. Why do code talkers begin transmission saying “New Mexico” or “Arizona”?

A) It shows pride for the Sacred Homeland.

B) Regular radio operators cannot distinguish Navajo from Japanese.

C) Laws regarding integrated service are different in both states.

D) This is part of the code.

4. In what ways is Ned just like his nickname?

A) He is small and unassuming but strong and resilient.

B) He is quiet but smart and works hard to please others.

C) He is a model student both in school and at bootcamp.

D) He is afraid of water but rebellious in nature.

5. What does Ned’s description of the first dead Japanese solider he sees reveal about his character?

A) Ned feels nothing and does not have time to show respect, which he later regrets.

B) He is overcome with intense fear because of cultural taboos regarding the dead.

C) Ned is full of hatred, fear, and revulsion, but he tries to say a kind word.

D) Ned identifies with the soldier because he looks like a cousin and is young like him.

6. What does Alex William’s story reveal about the extra dangers Navajo code talkers faced?

A) Large, heavy radios slowed them while running, making them easy targets.

B) Visual bias and prejudice meant soldiers sometimes mistook them for Japanese spies.

C) Banzai attackers prioritized code talkers because they knew their skills were unique.

D) Code talkers worked alone and had no back-up in their foxholes.

7. Why were the quiet times during the war often more unsettling to Ned than combat?

A) The huge coconut crabs that terrified him came to shore only when it was quiet.

B) The rats and mosquitos were more noticeable when it was quiet.

C) He was so used to artillery fire and gunshots that the silence made it hard to sleep.

D) Downtime allowed his mind to think and worry about the unknown.

8. What role does Little Johnny play in characterizing the code talkers?

A) He plays practical jokes on the soldiers, and they laugh, showing they are fun-loving.

B) They look after the orphan while they are stationed in Guam, showing their compassion.

C) They rescue him from a forced labor camp, showing their bravery.

D) They listen to his advice about the terrain, showing their trust in Indigenous knowledge.

9. What purpose might inclusion of the Solomon Islanders and Chamorros serve in Bruchac’s narrative?

A) They acknowledge unrecognized Indigenous contributions and support cultural empathy.

B) They serve as guides in military planning against the Japanese.

C) They side with the Japanese, showing the power of Japanese propaganda.

D) They represent the complete repression of Indigenous cultures worldwide.

10. What might Ned’s use of corn pollen before battle illustrate?

A) That Ned is preparing himself for death with a funeral rite

B) That Ned’s ability to find strength and survive comes from his culture

C) That corn pollen is protective and nourishing to soldiers

D) That all soldiers have their favored superstitions

11. What do the Japanese senninbari and Ned’s Blessingway have in common?

A) Both require corn pollen and sand from the Sacred Homeland.

B) Both are examples of how civilians deal with the stress of war.

C) Both are meant to protect soldiers from bullets and harm.

D) Both involve the interconnected blessings of friends and loved ones.

12. What shocking discovery do Ned and the other Marines make when raiding the abandoned larders on Iwo Jima?

A) Pancake batter and canned beans are rigged to explode.

B) The sick and wounded have been abandoned to face the Americans alone.

C) There is a secret transmission code that allows them to decode Japanese messages.

D) American food was donated to starving Japanese civilians before the war.

13. Which fact is true about Operation Iceberg?

A) Naval ships suffered heavy damage from kamikaze pilots.

B) It was the largest massed armada in history.

C) It was the code name for the atomic bomb project.

D) It was called off at the last second.

14. What does Ned resolve to share with youth after the war?

A) The story of the code talkers and their important role in WWII

B) The proceeds of his GI Bill

C) The benefits of serving as a Marine

D) Education for Navajo students and pride in their culture and language

15. With what does Hosteen Mitchell help Ned when he returns from service?

A) A Blessingway, to celebrate those who waited for his return

B) A traditional marriage ceremony, so he could marry his wife

C) An Enemyway, to help him rebalance and recover himself after the war

D) Building a house, since the GI Bill could not be used on reservation land

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. How did becoming a code talker undermine the assimilationist teachings Ned learned in boarding school?

2. What recurring role does the idea of monsters play in Ned’s story?

3. How does Ned survive the abuses of boarding school and the war?