NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) — When he was in his early 20s, the late Orlando Sánchez believed that what his Indigenous people in the Argentine province of Chaco needed most was a translation of the Bible in their language, Qom (previously known as Toba). He spent the rest of his life working towards that goal and promoting the use of Scripture in Indigenous languages.
As people celebrate his life, they are remembering his legacy of translation, which began in 1969 with initial translation projects, and culminated in 2014 with a completed Qom-language Bible. Orlando,79, died from COVID-19 on Nov. 26.
Retired mission worker Lois Buckwalter reflected on the early days of her ministry in Argentina, when her husband, Albert, and Orlando partnered for translation work. "The American Bible Society [ABS] wanted the translation to be done by a native speaker, assisted by the missionary," she wrote in a recent email. "Orlando attracted Albert’s attention as a potential translator. At that time, Orlando was in his early 20s and already active as a Qom church leader. When Albert approached him, Orlando understood immediately that the Bible translated into Qom was exactly what the church needed."
Buckwalter expressed her gratitude for the magnitude of the translation work and Orlando’s commitment to do his best. "He was extremely capable, readily able to translate the Spanish text into Qom, transcribing the words using the Qom orthography," she wrote. "After Albert typed Orlando’s handwritten text, the two of them would work together to make additions and corrections."
She described how as each book was translated, it was circulated in preliminary form for the people to read, in advance of the final publication of the Qom New Testament in 1981. In addition to the ABS, the United Bible Societies and the Sociedad Bíblica Argentina (Argentine Bible Society) partnered in aspects of translation, publishing and distribution.
Orlando wrote his testimony in May 2020, describing his experience in June 1967, as he spoke during a period of four days at a church conference.
"After finishing, [Pastor Albert Buckwalter] gave me many congratulations, and at the same time, he asked me if I could become part of the Bible translation work," he wrote. Orlando said they talked in depth, and then, Buckwalter set up an itinerary for Orlando to visit different communities so Buckwalter could learn more from Orlando’s expositions and translations of biblical terms in the Qom language. This would be a time of envisioning how they might work together in translating the Bible, as well as sharing with people in the communities.
Orlando continued, "[Buckwalter] continued to visit me, even at my workplaces, to encourage me so that on weekends, we managed to visit three to four different places to promote the reading of the translation in Qom la’aqtac."
He described how on Sept. 19, 1969, they began to translate 1 Timothy, using various versions of the Bible, exegetical commentaries, dictionaries and biblical manuals. "As a source of translation, we used the simple Spanish version Dios llega al hombre (Good News Bible)," he wrote. "In a month, we managed to finish the translation and in its preliminary publication; the readers gave very high approval for the new terms in the Qom version."
Following that initial work, he explained that they revised earlier translations of Mark and Acts of the Apostles, and then, proceeded translating the rest of the New Testament, culminating in the publication of the full Qom New Testament in 1981. They also translated portions of the Old Testament.
From left, the late Albert Buckwalter and the late Orlando Sánchez work together in translating the New Testament into the Toba Qom language in this photo taken in Castelli in 1978. Archive photo.
"This advance in translation and the study of linguistics aroused great interest in the Qom, Moqoit, and Pilaxa Indigenous populations, so much so that the central language of the Qom of the Chaco took on great importance in public reading in local congregations," Orlando wrote. The Qom New Testament served as the original text for the Moqoit and Pilaxa translators, as the meaning of the biblical text was clearer for them in an Indigenous language than in Spanish.
Luis Acosta, who arrived in Sáenz Peña, Argentina in 1995 to serve with the new Mennonite Team working with Indigenous churches, wrote about Orlando’s role with the translation team that began working in 2000 to complete the Old Testament in the Qom language: "He was, from the beginning, the reference person, the teacher, the authority. His career and the knowledge of the Bible and the Qom language gave him his place on the team." The long-term goal of a complete Qom Bible was realized in 2014.
Acosta said Orlando was a fighter for the rights of the original peoples of the Chaco. He held all possible positions in the Iglesia Evangélica Unida (IEU) — the only entirely Indigenous denomination in Argentina — and in public service. "He was a teacher, writer, historian, translator, a historical reference of the Qom people, who will remain forever in the memory of the various generations who took advantage of his wisdom," Acosta said.
Rafael Mansilla, who worked together with Orlando Sánchez in Bible translation for many years said,
"He was truly a great leader of his people, a recognized leader of the Indigenous church; a point of reference in the political field and a pioneer leader in intercultural bilingual education. He was studious and knowledgeable about the translation of the Bible into the Qom language."
José Oyanguren, who currently serves with his family in the Argentine Chaco, also affirmed Orlando. "… Orlando is, for the vast majority of the Qom people, the example to follow, in many respects. He was a person with amazing ability. He was a tireless worker."
