Indigenous writers promote native languages through poetry and translation

In Oaxaca, writer Víctor Terán has released a new book titled ‘Diidxadó’ Guendaranaxhii Bibi’ xhi’ Diidxazá’, which features translations of universal poets such as Federico García Lorca and Eduardo Galeano into the Zapotec language (diidxazá). Published by the Instituto Estatal de Educación Pública de Oaxaca (IEEPO), the work aims to foster reading habits in younger generations and demonstrate the literary capacity of indigenous languages.

In a separate cultural discussion at the Museo de San Ildefonso, writers Mikeas Sánchez and Ruperta Bautista explored the role of indigenous poetry as a tool for memory and resistance. Writing in Zoque and Tsotsil, respectively, the authors discussed the unique linguistic structures of their native tongues and the challenges of navigating the editorial landscape. They emphasized that indigenous languages possess inherent poetic qualities and distinct ways of conceptualizing the world, often linking thought and feeling through cultural metaphors.