Kate’s 2¢: “Code Talker” by Chester Nez; Judith Schiess Avila

“Code Talker” by Chester Nez; Judith Schiess Avila

Kate’s 2¢: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as,     describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares my thoughts about what I read.  I’m just saying…

Although the historic site we visited in 2002 was Seneca Indians, the pow-wow featured several code talkers, who demonstrated the code talk. I don’t remember which ones they were, but, since Chester Nez didn’t die until 2014, perhaps it was his hand that touched my hand as he walked out of the tent. I’ll never know, but I give them my heart-felt thanks.

Land of the Seneca:

Ganondagan State Historic Site

June 6, 2002 Wayne County STAR Newspaper

I’m always on the look-out for interesting, inter-active day-trips that are not more than 3-hours from home. I was delighted to hear of one in Victor.

Did you know that just southeast of Rochester in the town of Victor, lies Ganondagan, the site of a House of Peace Native American community that was a flourishing, vibrant center for the Seneca people during the 17th Century?

“From politics and the environmental movement to food and medicine,” Debra Glor, a non-native advocate for Native Americans, recently told the members of the Col. William Prescott Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “The roots of contemporary society can be traced back to this historic site.”

I’d heard a lot about the casinos and Native Americans near Syracuse, but I didn’t realize there used to be a village in Victor. Debra gave me a web-site when she learned of my interest in the Navajo Code Talkers. The web-site (http://www.ganondagan.org/index.html) had a lot of interesting information on it, with links to other related topics.

I’m planning to take a day-trip with our little ones to visit the Ganondagan State site this summer. I think the trails sound like something they’d enjoy while learning about Native Americans and their plight.

“You can walk the land of the Seneca at Ganondagan State Historic Site on three marked trails,” states the web-site information “Illustrated signs mark the trails where visitors can learn about the significance of plant life to the Seneca, and about Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) customs and beliefs. The Trail of Peace details bits of Seneca history and oral tradition. The Earth is Our Mother Trail identifies plants and explains their uses for the Seneca. At Fort Hill (the granary) is the Granary Trail , where you can relive a day in July through journal entries from the Denonville campaign, when a large French army led by the Governor of Canada attacked and destroyed Ganondagan.”

We’ll call ahead to sign-up with a sighted tour guide for the morning. Then, after a picnic lunch, hike as much as our little boys’ legs can take. I sure hope the folks at the site won’t mind my guide dog accompanying us.

The Ganondagan State Historic Site: Trails open year‑round, 8 a.m. to sunset, weather permitting.

* Visitor Center open Tuesday through Sunday 9‑5, mid‑May through the end of October.

* Interpreters for Guided Trail walks are available Saturdays 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Sundays 12:00 p.m. and 2 p.m.

* Group Tours by reservation two weeks in advance.

*Admission: $2.00 per adult, $1.00 per child for interpretation of the Visitor Center, Bark Longhouse, and trails. Self‑guided walks on trails are free. *Events have special admission prices.

*Ganondagan State Historic Site ‑‑ Preserving a Past. Providing a Future: P.O. Box 113, 1488 State Route 444, Victor, New York 14564‑0113: phone: (716) 742‑1690

From NLS/BARD/LOC:

Code talker DBC04951

Nez, Chester; Avila, Judith Schiess. Reading time: 7 hours, 59 minutes.

Read by David Kirk. A production of Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library.

Biography

War and the Military

U.S. History

Memoir of an original Navajo code talker during World War II. The author reminisces about a childhood spent near the reservation in New Mexico, the hardships he faced attending various boarding schools, and his pride at being selected as a marine. He soon discovered that his secret mission would put him in the midst of many deadly battles in the Pacific, though the unbreakable code would turn the tide of the war. Some strong language.