2016-08-11 Thu

The sale of 1.5 and 3 inch bronze medals that were awarded to the Pueblo of Laguna Tribe on 29th July 2016 for their invaluable contributions to U. S. military as “Code Talkers” during World War II, has begun.

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the medals do not have a mintage limit and can be discontinued or reissued at any time. The obverse features a Laguna code talker crouching, with the inscriptions K’AWAIKA CODE TALKERS and PUEBLO OF LAGUNA. The reverse depicts a Pueblo of Laguna tribal seal and the inscriptions 43RD BOMBARDMENT GROUP, WORLD WAR II, PUEBLO OF LAGUNA, TSINA HANU (“big turkey”), Y’AAK’A WAASCH’I (“little corn”), and ACT OF CONGRESS 2008.

Code Talkers were Native Americans who used tribal languages for important secret communications during World War I and World War II. 33 tribes were to be honoured with Congressional Gold medals; out of which 31 have received their medals.