Before she started her first semester as a Virginia Tech graduate student earlier this fall, Yubidixi Jimenez-Castañeda immersed herself in a two-week seminar at the Newberry Library in Chicago. During this program, she had the opportunity to study two Indigenous languages from present-day Latin America: Nahuatl and Nawat. 

Supported by a Center for Renaissance Studies Consortium research grant, Jimenez-Castañeda joined scholars from across the country to work hands-on with historic documents from the Newberry Library collections and learn how to speak, read, and transcribe these languages. 

For her, the experience was both academically rigorous and personally fulfilling, offering a meaningful connection to her heritage and shaping her research interests in history. Read on to learn more about her experience! 

Nahuatl comedic play from the Newberry Library collections
Jimenez-Castañeda and her cohort at the Newberry Library in Chicago
Nuremberg Hernan Cortes Tenochtitlan map

What was it like learning Nahuatl and Nawat in such a short amount of time?
It was daunting; I hadn’t quite understood what I was getting into until I was there and learning a whole new set of grammatical rules. Dr. Polanco, who was one of the instructors for the program, asked me early on how I was doing, and I said, 'I don’t remember learning English, so it feels like I’m learning two languages (English and Nahuatl) at the same time.'

Did you find one of the languages more challenging or surprising to learn? 
Nahuatl was more difficult. We spent the most time on this language, learning a Huasteca variant and colonial-period Nahuatl. You learn pretty quickly how difficult it is to translate and transcribe colonial-period Nahuatl. A lot of the time, the Spanish settlers translated and transcribed using their language as the foundation which makes tracing back the language difficult. 

Which skills did you enjoy developing the most?
I enjoyed speaking the most. I felt a sense of pride knowing I was given the opportunity to speak the language of my ancestors. Translating was interesting too, having to take a step back from my Spanish skills and look at things from a different perspective. 

How did working hands-on with original Indigenous language documents from the Newberry Library collections shape your understanding of these languages and their history?
It is one thing to read an electronic copy of a manuscript on your laptop, but it’s completely different to be able to touch and physically see the document in real life. For me, there had been a sense of detachment, and being there I was able to fully immerse myself within the context of the manuscripts and other documents.

How did what you learned in this seminar influence your goals during your first semester as a graduate student?
The seminar helped shape my interests within research. My interest in human offerings is rather broad and needed more time to be thought out. A few conversations with Dr. Abelardo de la Cruz, one of the program’s directors, helped me shape and narrow my focus. 

What drew you to take a Nahuatl/Nawat language course?
I knew that I wanted to contribute meaningfully to this field of history, and it felt wrong delving into it without making an effort to learn the language. I asked Dr. Polanco if he knew of any programs where I could learn Nahuatl, and months later I was at the Newberry. 

What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned in the class?
Learning about the different variations of the same word was both frustrating and interesting. The Spanish wrote Nahuatl exactly as they heard it, leading to some interesting grammatical choices. But this also influences post-colonial work; one word could have a couple of different spellings and meanings. 

What did receiving the Center for Renaissance Studies Consortium research grant mean to you?
Without the grant, I never would have been able to go to the Newberry. I will be going to the Newberry again in January to present at a conference. Without the initial funding for the seminar, I don’t think I would have been able to participate in the conference.

If you had to summarize your experience in one sentence, what would you say?
The experience was personally fulfilling, unique, and intimate; it allowed for a new pathway through my heritage to be explored.