How do we construct “thank you” in our languages? In Ayöök (Mixe), an Indigenous language spoken in Mexico’s Oaxaca, a common way of expressing gratitude includes “God” — reflecting the lasting influence of colonial encounters. But what if ancestors imagined thanks as something more direct, without invoking divine authority? That’s the question our guest, Mixe digital language activist Marco Antonio Martínez, explores in this episode.

This episode of The Untranslatables Project was produced by Radio Taiwan International (Rti) in collaboration with Rising Voices, a global initiative amplifying endangered and Indigenous languages.