Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers

Rating:
Summary: Nice photographic project
Review: "Windtalkers" was not the only cultural project to document a phenomenon about which more Americans should learn. Here is a book of actual pictures of Navajo veterans that served during World War II. The photos prove that there were more than just a few of them. Additionally, many of the men (and I don't recall seeing any Navajo women vets in this book) wear their veterans hats. This illustrates how many Native Americans are quite patriotic despite what the government did to their ancestors, and potentially still does with many tribes. There is a history of non-Natives photographing Natives which only serves to exoticize and de-humanize them. I doubt that's being done here; still, critical thinkers may want to be wary when evaluating this work. My one critique of this book is that there is very little text included. Besides photos, there is nothing much here. Still, I can't criticize a photographer for not being an academic. But be warned that this is just a coffee table book. I'd like to see more complex works being written about these brave individuals. Still, this was pretty excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Nice photographic project
Review: "Windtalkers" was not the only cultural project to document a phenomenon about which more Americans should learn. Here is a book of actual pictures of Navajo veterans that served during World War II. The photos prove that there were more than just a few of them. Additionally, many of the men (and I don't recall seeing any Navajo women vets in this book) wear their veterans hats. This illustrates how many Native Americans are quite patriotic despite what the government did to their ancestors, and potentially still does with many tribes. There is a history of non-Natives photographing Natives which only serves to exoticize and de-humanize them. I doubt that's being done here; still, critical thinkers may want to be wary when evaluating this work. My one critique of this book is that there is very little text included. Besides photos, there is nothing much here. Still, I can't criticize a photographer for not being an academic. But be warned that this is just a coffee table book. I'd like to see more complex works being written about these brave individuals. Still, this was pretty excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Photographic testament to native American veterans of WW2
Review: I've never had much interest in the Second World War - tv documentaries about it leave me cold. However, a recent visit to Utah (and a museum display in a Burger King branch) triggered my interest in the "Code Talkers".

Japanese photographer Kawano has taken portraits of all the Navajo veterans he could find. These are the native Americans who were recruited by the marines to use their native language in transmissions behind enemy lines in the Far East. It proved to be the only unbreakable spoken code in military history.

These black and white pictures are a poignant and eloquent testament to their heorism. A short introduction and occasional quotes from the subjects help set the context. It is a remarkable achievement, fusing art and history