Students crowded the MacVittie College Union Ballroom on Oct. 10 to listen to indigenous environmental activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (pictured above) speak at the Presidential Sustainability Lecture. Martinez is in the process of suing the federal government and the Donald Trump administration for failing to address climate change. (Udeshi Seneviratne/Photo Editor)
Geneseo was privileged to have environmental activist and indigenous hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez speak at the Presidential Sustainability Lecture in the MacVittie College Union Ballroom on Oct. 10. Martinez is well-known for his activism, his book We Rise and his role as the youth director for the Earth Guardians conservation organization.
Martinez began his lecture with an original rap verse where he expressed his concerns for the environment and discussed what young people can do to get involved. Martinez uses music to spread awareness about pressing issues including climate change, invasion of indigenous land and suicide.
Martinez talked about individuals he knows who have been affected by climate change, including friends who have lost their homes to California wildfires and people of the Standing Rock reservation who faced a climate crisis with the implementation of the Dakota Access Pipeline. By the end of the century, the world will have an estimated one billion climate refugees, according to Martinez.
Martinez discussed his activism at the Standing Rock reservation where he was inspired by people of all different ages working together—including grandmothers, grandfathers and children riding on horseback.
“I didn’t just see activists protesting fossil fuels, but a deep humanity that shows how climate crisis ties each of us together,” Martinez said. “This was more than an example of a greedy fossil fuel company, but one of the powers that mobilized people to create change.”
Martinez emphasized the importance of changing the narrative in terms of climate crisis. He believes that people have lost their sense of connection to the planet; to fight climate change, people must focus less on science and more on the importance of our planet’s health from a humanitarian perspective. People must prioritize outreach to communities of color who are disproportionally affected by climate crisis, according to Martinez.
In his book, We Rise, Martinez expresses that while it may seem intimidating to get involved in environmental activism due to its wide range of issues, taking small steps in daily life such as being conscious of one’s waste production and turning off the lights before leaving the house can make a difference.
For years, Martinez was told he was too young to make real change. He took this dismissal and negative energy and turned it into the creation of a movement for young people. Under his direction, Earth Guardian is a youth-led group committed to climate activism and drafting and passing legislation.
One of the mission statements for the Earth Guardian organization is that no matter how old you are or where you come from, you can make a difference in the environment. Martinez and 20 other young people, the youngest being 10 years old, are suing the federal government for failing to act on climate change. Their case against the Trump administration will be heard later in October.
Martinez preached that it is young people who have the best chance at helping the world combat the climate crisis. He believes that this generation is the most educated, the most progressive and the most equipped to address this crisis. By spreading the word about climate change and the issues it causes, youth can create real change.
“I believe in the power that our generation has to change the world,” Martinez said. “It is your responsibility to take a little bit of this with you and share it with your homies.”