Juan Hernández Ramírez

Born in Colatlán, Ixhuatlán de Madero, Veracruz, Mexico, on May 6, 1951, Juan Hernández Ramírez is a Nahua-origin poet and educator. He has held roles as a Spanish-language teacher, school principal, bilingual education supervisor, and regional director of Indigenous Education.

He taught Indigenous Education for over forty-one years, dedicating his life to preserving Indigenous languages and cultural traditions. As a translator and cultural promoter, his work has promoted the Nahuatl, Tének, Tepehua, and Hñähñú languages and cultures.

He is the author of numerous poetry books including Auatl iuan sitlalimej - Encinos y Estrellas, Eternidad de las hojas, Chikome Xochitl - Siete Flor, Totomej Intlajtol - La Lengua de los Pájaros, Tlatlatok Tetl - Piedra Incendiada, Tlixochimili - Jardín de Fuego, Tlalxiktli - Ombligo de la Tierra, Ejekateskatl - Espejo del Viento, and Sintli Itos - La Voz del Maíz.

A two-time FONCA National Fund for Culture and the Arts in Mexico fellow and member of the SNCA National System of Art Creators, Hernández Ramírez has received the Nezahualcóyotl Award of Literature in Indigenous Languages, the Canto de América Prize, and the Adolfo Ruíz Cortines Medal.

Photo Credit: © Citlalxochitl Hernández Angeles