(2008) Medal Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Code Talkers Bronze 38mm

Coin Details

Description

This 38mm bronze medal honors the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Code Talkers, members of the tribe who served in the United States military by using their native language to transmit coded messages during wartime. The Code Talkers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2008 authorized the creation of distinct medals for each of the Native American tribes whose members served as code talkers, recognizing contributions that had remained largely classified and unacknowledged for decades after the wars ended. The Cheyenne River Sioux, based on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, contributed service members who used the Lakota language in military communications. The obverse features a design specific to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, incorporating cultural symbols and imagery meaningful to the tribe's identity and heritage. Each tribal medal in the Code Talkers series was developed in consultation with the respective tribe to ensure the designs authentically represented their cultural traditions while honoring the military service of their code talkers. The 38mm format was used for the bronze duplicate medals made available to the public, as distinct from the larger gold presentation medals given to the tribes themselves. The reverse carries inscriptions identifying the Code Talkers program and the specific tribe honored. The code talker concept originated during World War I and was expanded dramatically during World War II, when the military recognized that Native American languages — with their complex grammatical structures and extremely limited number of non-Native speakers — provided virtually unbreakable encryption for battlefield communications.

Rarity Notes

Bronze duplicate medal, 38mm. Authorized by the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008. Available from the U.S. Mint.

Cross References

PCGS #910577; Code Talkers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2008; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe