Living History Samuel Tom Holiday Navajo Code Talker

Photo by Tom Grier/Navajo Oral History Project.

Despite being forbidden to speak the Navajo language at boarding schools, Samuel Holiday recognized the importance of his language and culture.

He shares stories of his service in the U.S. Marines during World War II as a testament to this power. As a Navajo Code Talker, he served in the South Pacific, transmitting and receiving messages that were never deciphered by the Japanese.

Photo by Tom Grier/Navajo Oral History Project.

Samuel´s legacy goes beyond his military duty. He is a role model and source of inspiration for Navajo youth.

This documentary film was researched, photographed, edited and produced by students of Winona State University (Winona, Minnesota) and Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona, Navajo Nation) during summer 2012.

It contains stories Samuel Tom Holiday of Kayenta, Arizona, told the students during several hours of interviews about his life.
Samuel Tom Holiday Winona

Project completed by:
Kelsey Curtis – DC
Liam Krause – WSU
Rachel Rivers – WSU
Christine Willie – DC

This documentary film is archived at the Navajo Nation Museum, Navajo Nation Library, Winona State University Library, and Diné College Library, and will be archived at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.

The film is part of the Navajo Oral History project, a multi-year collaboration between the Winona State UniversityMass Communication Department and Diné College– The official Tribal College of the Navajo Nation