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The First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament is a unique translation of the New Testament crafted to resemble the spoken narratives of the Native peoples of North America. In the early 2000s, Terry M. Wildman, a Native Methodist minister and director for InterVarsity, stumbled upon a Hopi version of the New Testament. However, he encountered difficulty in finding someone proficient in the language to interpret and translate it. Recognizing that many indigenous communities in North America no longer speak their native languages, he conceived the idea of an English Bible translation that honored the storytelling traditions of Native peoples. Wildman initially began by rephrasing Bible passages for inmates in a prison ministry, discovering that the rhythm and vocabulary resonated with other Native individuals. In 2015, OneBook Canada, an organization dedicated to translating the Bible into local languages, offered to sponsor Wildman’s translation project. With contributions from the former head of Wycliffe Bible Translators, Canada, and over a thousand Native pastors and theologians from various nations, the translation was completed and published in 2021 by Rain Ministries.
First Nations Version – Translation Approach
The translation adopts an unapologetically thought-for-thought or dynamic approach, incorporating specific word choices that reflect Native culture. For instance, “boat” is rendered as “canoe,” “bread” is often referred to as “fry bread,” “rabbi” becomes “wisdomkeeper,” “temple” is transformed into “sacred lodge,” “synagogue” is represented as “gathering houses,” and “baptism” is described as a “purification ceremony.” Names are predominantly presented literally, but occasionally symbolically, with the English name provided in parentheses afterward. For example, Jesus is named “Creator Sets Free,” John is referred to as “Gift of Goodwill,” Paul is known as “Small Man,” and Herod is called “Looks Brave.” Additionally, Israel is termed “Wrestles with Creator,” Jerusalem is identified as “Village of Peace,” and Rome is labeled “Village of Iron.”
Furthermore, the names and titles of God are also translated. “The Lord” and “God” are rendered as “Great Spirit,” “Creator,” or “Honored Chief,” dep…
Depending on the context, “Messiah” means “Chosen One.” Other passages refer to “Great Mystery,” “Maker of Life,” “Giver of Breath,” “One Above Us All,” and “Most Holy One.”
The First Nations Version also includes inline notations indicated by italics. Some aim to transform the text into an oral narrative by incorporating scene descriptions. For instance, between Mark 2:9 and 10, there is a note stating, “The room fell silent as he awaited a response from them.” Others enhance the clarity of the text; while the NIV states in Matthew 24:28, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather,” the FNV conveys, “Just as gathering vultures indicate dead bodies, these events signal the end.” Additional notations provide explanations commonly found in study Bibles, like the note following Luke 14:12, where the Prodigal Son requests his inheritance: “This action greatly offended the father, as it would typically occur after the father’s passing.”
First Nations Version – Advantages and Disadvantages
The text itself presents distinct pros and cons. Translating names into their meanings poses no issue. Rendering “Israel” as “Wrestles with Creator” remains faithful to the Hebrew and introduces an intriguing layer by suggesting how the Jewish leaders rejected their Messiah. The notes are italicized to indicate they are not part of the original text. Those that contribute to the ambiance of the scene are mostly innocuous—they do not alter the message of the text. Some commentary proves beneficial; notes in Matthew 5:27–32 clarify that Jesus urged His audience to honor women. However, some interpretations lead to a misinterpretation of the original intent. For instance, in the same passage of Matthew, a notation on verse 32 suggests that Jesus’ concern was not divorce itself but rather men dismissing their wives without providing divorce papers, preventing them from remarrying.
Certain individuals may struggle with the more contextual translations. While Matthew 6:11 in the NIV simply statesays, “Give us today our daily bread,” the FNV states, “Provide for us day by day—the elk, the buffalo, and the salmon. The corn, the squash, and the wild rice. All the things we need for each day.” John the Baptist is described as wearing “a buffalo robe, with a deer-hide sash around his waist” «And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. », (Matthew 3:4). Readers will have to decide if the contextualization impedes their understanding of theological truths and whether such changes categorize the First Nations Version as a paraphrase rather than a translation.
Some theological concepts are rendered in a way that may be confusing to those familiar with more common translations. “Creator’s good road” means “kingdom of God.” “Land of Creator’s good road from above” means “kingdom of heaven.” “Broken ways” and “bad hearts” mean “sin,” and “released from your broken ways” means “forgiven.”
More traditional Bibles are a result of taking a 2,000-year-old sacred text from the region of the Mediterranean Sea and translating it into English. It’s difficult for people from a European-based culture that has been so influenced by that text to judge a version that is contextualized into the Native American culture. We might have concerns that equating the God of the Bible with the Great Spirit or calling Jesus’ temptation a “vision quest” will cause misunderstanding. However, reading the Bible in a more familiar form may help the intended audience understand that Jesus’ offer of salvation is for them, too. More refined theology, hopefully, comes later, as it would for anyone who started by reading The Living Bible, for example. It would be important for those reading the First Nations Version to be able to consult a pastor or another grounded believer.
First Nations Version – Sample Verses
John 1:1–2, 14 &m
“Long ago, in the time before all days, before the creation of all things, the one who is known as the Word was there face to face with the Great Spirit. This Word fully represents the Creator and shows us who he is and what he is like. He has always been there from the beginning, for the Word and the Creator are one and the same. The Creator’s Word became a flesh-and-blood human being and pitched his sacred tent among us, living as one of us. We looked upon his great beauty and saw how honorable he was, the kind of honor held only by this one Son who fully represented his Father—full of his great kindness and truth.”
John 3:16 — “‘The Great Spirit loves this world of human beings so deeply he gave us his Son—the only Son who fully represents him. All who trust in him and his way will not come to a bad end, but will have the life of the world to come that never fades away, full of beauty and harmony.’”
John 8:58 — “‘I speak from my heart,’ he answered. ‘I was there before the Father of Many Nations (Abraham) was born—for I AM.’”
Ephesians 2:8–9 — “It is by trusting in the gift of his great kindness that we have been made whole. It is not because of any good thing we have done, but only by accepting a gift that we could never earn. In this way, no one can brag or boast about themselves, but only humbly give thanks.”
Titus 2:13 — “For we are looking and waiting for the blessing of the bright-shining appearance of the one who set us free and made us whole—our Great Spirit, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One.”
