During World War II, Navajo Code Talkers played an important role in protecting American secrets in the Pacific. While the Japanese could crack most codes, they could not understand the Navajo messages. These codes were developed from the complex languages of the Navajo nation, which are based on tone and inflection as well as vocabulary.
Codes and ciphers are used to conceal a communication. A code replaces a word with a new word or symbol; a cipher replaces each letter with a symbol.
Activity: Using the Number Code below, try to decipher a code.
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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1
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A
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B
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C
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D
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E
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2
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F
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G
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H
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I / J
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K
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3
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L
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M
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N
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O
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P
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4
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Q
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R
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S
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T
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U
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5
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V
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W
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X
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Y
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Z
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The key identifies each letter with the number of its row and the number of its column. For example, 32 = M.
Decipher this message:
32 11 44 23 24 43 21 45 33
Try sending secret messages to a friend!
Reference: Bock, Louise. Multicultural Math Fun: Holidays Around the Year. J. Weston Walch Publisher, 1997.