Mohawk Indian, 94, gets congressional medal for code talking

AKWESASNE, N.Y. – A 94-year-old Native American who used the Mohawk language to transmit secret messages during World War II has been honoured with a Congressional Silver Medal.

Code talker Louis Levi Oakes was honoured Saturday at the Mohawk Indian reservation where he lives in New York.

The medal also was awarded to several Mohawk code talkers who are now deceased. They were accepted by surviving relatives at a ceremony attended by around 900 people.

The Congressional Silver Medal is the second-highest civilian honour that can be awarded to an individual by Congress.

Oakes grew up in Akwesasne (og-wuh-SAHZ’-nee) and served in the Army. He received his assignment to work with codes at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

During the war, Native American languages were used to send messages that were never deciphered by the enemy.

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This story has been corrected to show Oakes is 94, not 91.

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