2 NM tribes honored for Code Talker work

While President Barack Obama was at the White House distributing presidential medals to Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton on Wed-nesday, leaders of Congress were on Capitol Hill awarding the Con-gressional Gold Medal to Native American tribes to honor Code Talkers who served in World Wars I and II. On Wednesday, 25 tribes were awarded medals, including Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. Eight other tribes, including New Mexico’s Laguna tribe, will receive medals at a later date. The award is one of the nation’s highest honors. The Code Talkers were considered critical to the U.S. efforts in World Wars I and II for their use of Native American languages to help transmit critical intelligence to U.S. forces, often from behind enemy lines. The ceremony marked the second time Code Talkers have been honored by Congress. In 2001, Navajo Code Talkers – including some from New Mexico – were honored in a stirring ceremony in the Capitol rotunda...more