For nearly 50 years. I think this is the most importan
for me because first time I took a picture, Kenji Kawano
has been photographing the Navajo Code Talkers of World
War Two throughout America's southwest to become my
life work. A lifelong project that began with a ride
from a stranger while hitchhiking on the Navajo Natio
and one Navajo guy, older guy and his wife was in the
car and another whole guy said where you come from I
said Japan. Then he said oh you're Japanese. Do you
know about the Navajo Code Talkers Kawano knew nothin
about the Navajo Code Talkers. A young photographer,
had only recently come to the U.S. And was trying to
take pictures of daily life on the Navajo Nation. So he
explained to me during the World War two About 400
young navajos at the South Pacific fight against the
japanese. He told me we use our language as a weapon
and we spoke Navajo. So we are the U.S. Marines. Navajo
code talker. Kawano says that man was none other than
Carl Gorman. One of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers
who helped create the code used by the US military.
Hitchhiking Made the discovery quote despite not
knowing English or Navajo. Kawano says he slowly began
meeting other code talkers. By 1986 he began taking
photos of them for his book Warriors. Some were
hesitant to speak with him at least at first they said
yeah you can take a picture of me and I give you my
name. But that's it I don't wanna say anything more
because you are a former enemy. Something while
listening to their war stories, he says he kept his
role as a photographer in focus. I tried to think, can
you, your photographer, don't think about which
nationality you are. I'm a photographer. I like to take
a picture of them. And he says that mentality led to
some incredible conversations a one of the Kenji
always bad. I went to fight with Japanese but I'm not
hate or against the Japanese war is between governm
I have no anger towards you and I had a very, a good
relationship with many code tal So much so he was
made an honorary member of the Navajo Code Talkers
Association, that is one of my treasure. Kawano had
found a new place to call home on the Navajo Nation,
eventually marrying and raising a family there over the
years. Kawano says he has spent countless hours on the
road Searching for Navajo code talkers at their home
addresses across the Navajo nat A task. He jokes he
has spent far more time on than the actual photo
sessions. Maybe about 120. Some code talkers. I
couldn't take a picture because I promised I'd be, I'm
coming to see you. But I took so long time and when I
went to there, he was gone with fewer than a handful of
code talkers still alive. Kawan says he loves it. When
families reach out to him about the photos they said or
when I miss my father or my grandpa, I picked up your
book and I open here is a father or my grandpa. Some of
his photos are on display at the Navajo Nation Museum
in Window Rock Arizona. And as far as relatives, you
know, obviously that's going to have a profound effect
on them as well to know that their father or their
grandfather or great grandfather is memorialized by
Kenji Kawano and his just lifelong passion to buildi
a relationship with the code talkers and capturing them
not just as marines, but as people and as Navajos,
let's make me happy. I'm here still. I'm taking
pictures on the neighborhood reservation. Meg H
Newsy, Window Rock, Arizona.