Article October 7, 2002 Issue

Listening to the Spirit: stories of history and reconciliation

Writing and illustrating The Unbreakable Code

By Sara Hoagland Hunter

Researching And Writing a Children's Book about the Navajo Code Talkers remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. More than any project I've been involved in before or since, a unity of spirit among writer, artist, and our subject seemed to propel and protect the creative process, no matter what the obstacle. The privilege of chronicling the quiet strength and modesty of these World War II veterans has truly been a "gift that keeps on giving."

Six years after the book's launch, the illustrator, Julie Miner, and I are still frequently invited to schools to share what we learned on the Navajo Reservation. Just recently, on September 24, I joined other authors as a guest of the Mayor of New York during the city's annual book week and presented The Unbreakable Code to the city's public schools.

I first learned about the code, which was used for the Allied Forces' Pacific island invasions and never broken by the Japanese, as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College. Dartmouth's commitment to recruit Native American students enriched my life in many ways, especially through the friendships I made with students such as Cathy and Heather Wilson, members of the Nez Percé tribe. Heather was the most colorful storyteller I've ever met. She knew the story of the Code Talkers and shared it with me before their heroism was renowned. Years later, when she was ill, I asked her to write it down. She demurred with the same modesty as the Navajos I would later interview, claiming I was the writer. Throughout the writing of the book, we enjoyed terrific visits as she helped me with background research and her unquenchable enthusiasm.

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