David Moya - Smith : The death of original code talker Chester Nez is a significant cultural loss . He attended public schools that discouraged the use of his Navajo language . Author : Native American elders say when a person dies , so does the culture . Without the use of the Navajo language , the U.S. military could have lost a soldier , author says .
Simon Moya-Smith : The death of original code talker Chester Nez is a significant cultural loss . Nez attended boarding schools that discouraged the use of his Navajo language . Author : Native American elders say when a language dies , so does the culture . Without the use of the Navajo language , the U.S. military could have lost a war , author says .