TPR: Exhibit highlights use of tribal languages during two wars

In World War I and II, American forces needed to communicate secrets to one another. The problem was the enemy understood their language.

"The Germans were very good at English and also good at cryptography and breaking codes," said the exhibit’s curator, Dr. William Meadows.

American forces then began to use a secret weapon: Native Americans and their largely unknown, difficult to cipher language, which was further complicated by using that language as a basis for additional code.