POESÍA CH’OL CON PERSPECTIVA FEMENINA: EL CUERPO, LA VOZ Y LA MUJER TRADUCIDAS EN LA POESÍA DE JUANA PEÑATE MONTEJO

Abstract

This research situates Juana Peñate Montejo’s collection of poems, Ipusik’al Matye’lum/Corazón de Selva/Heart of a Wild Land, in the context of contemporary indigenous literature, which seeks to recover silenced narratives and promote indigenous languages. Peñate Montejo presents a feminine perspective and combines elements of oral tradition with modern poetics to reflect the evolution of Ch’ol culture and worldview. Her self-translations foster a hybrid and intercultural identity, challenging the traditional representation of indigenous voices as “the other” and positioning her as a creator with agency and authorship in her literary work as well as her Spanish versions. The thesis is structured in three chapters: the first one examines Peñate Montejo’s use of oral tradition and Ch’ol worldview in her poetry; the second explores strategies to interpret the hybridity and interculturality present in her work; and the third one analyzes her self-translations as a decolonizing practice that redefines contemporary Ch’ol literature and enhances the visibility of indigenous narratives.