Kakemongen Mapu Mew (The Other Forms of Life): Translation of the Periodic Table of Elements into Mapudungun

This paper presents a systematic translation of the periodic table of chemical elements into Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuche people of Chile. The periodic table is a foundational tool in chemical education, yet for Indigenous students, the exclusively Western framing of its content can create epistemological barriers. This work develops Mapudungun names for the elements of the periodic table, including individual translations for elements 1–89 and the lanthanide series, and a family level translation for the actinide series, using a set of translation criteria that combine etymology, observable qualities, practical uses, historical context, and connection to Mapuche culture. The translation was culturally validated by Mapuche researchers and educators, cross-referencing proposed terms with oral traditions and established Mapudungun dictionaries. Through examples such as hydrogen (Choyükey Ko, “where water is permanently born”) and bismuth (Relmu Pañilwe, “metal of the rainbow”), we illustrate how the translated names ground chemical concepts in Mapuche epistemology. This work represents a linguistic and theoretical proposal that could serve as a foundation for future intercultural chemistry curricula. Potential pedagogical benefits, including improved comprehension, strengthened cultural identity, and more equitable dialogue between knowledge systems, remain hypotheses for future classroom research.