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In general terms, the idea of translating offers a conventional sense of bridging the linguistic gaps between different languages. However, the implications of undertaking such a task among ethnic groups are rarely examined, at least in a practical sense that transcends the plane of a mere understanding of the words. This thoughtful article seeks to document the experience of translating a book from English into Spanish (the latter being a generalized language amongst the Nasa people in southwestern Colombia) and its symbolic and ritual appropriation. The article argues that this type of experience shows a way of understanding and appropriating writing as a symbolic instance of power and transformation, and thus it contributes to transcending the conventional concept of translation and entering new intercultural domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]