"Yes, teacher! Those were the two words I spoke more than any others when I was in mission school. They were like magic." What does Ned mean when he says that the words "Yes, teacher" are "like magic"?

Those words were like magic because it helped him to gain approval from the teachers who punished them when they spoke their native Navajo language.

Explanation:

In the mission school which Ned gained entrance to, it was forbidden for the students to speak their native language. Students caught violating this law were punished by having their mouths washed with soap. Their native names were also replaced with English names.

Ned soon learned that whenever he was called upon by the teachers, the best way to gain their approval was to answer with the words, "Yes, teacher." Answering with his native language would earn him some serious punishment.

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