Fighting for the Earth
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez has a vision and reach well beyond his years.
boulder» Xiuhtezcatl Martinez shuffled into Logan’s Cafe one morning looking like typical teenager. He wore a black T-shirt and blue sneakers with the laces untied. His nearly waist-length brown hair, which has never been cut for cultural reasons, was slightly tangled at the ends, causing his mom to run to her car for a pink hairbrush.
In some ways, he is like any other 16-year-old. He runs around his neighborhood at 3 a.m. catching Pokemon with his friends. He went through a breakup recently. He’s itching to get his driver’s license.
But he’s also an internationally recognized environmental activist.
Raised in the Aztec tradition — his father is Aztec Indian — he grew up learning that all life is connected and sacred. Martinez (whose first name is pronounced “Shu-TEZ-caht”) started speaking out about climate change and preserving our planet when he was just 6 years old.
“The way that I was raised really helped shape my passion for being a steward for the land,” Martinez said. “Once I started learning all the science and facts behind it, it was very obvious to me that I have a voice that needs to be heard. I’m in love with a world that’s falling apart.”
The 16-year-old activist has given three speeches in front of the United Nations and received the 2013 United States Community Service Award from President Obama. He currently serves as the youth director of Earth Guardians, an organization of adult and youth environmental activists. In the past, he’s worked with Boulder city officials to stop the use of pesticides in parks and end a 20-year contract with Xcel Energy in order to pursue renewable energy.
Russell Mendell, the training coordinator for Earth Guardians, struck up a relationship with Martinez after seeing him perform at a Frack Free Colorado event. He found a lot of common ground with the young activist and worked with him to generate a youth movement for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
“I’ve been called Xiuhtezcatl’s mentor, but the thing is like I feel like he’s my mentor, too. I learn stuff from him every single day,” Mendell said. “He’s just so wise, and he can integrate bigger social issues into how he understands the environment. That’s so impressive for someone his age.”
“There are some people in this world who came into the world with a purpose, and he’s one of those people.”
Martinez also regularly writes and produces hip-hop music about the environment with his younger brother, Itzc-
uauhtli, who is 13. He wants to drop a new album in October. The activist has also spoken at more than 100 conferences around the world, most recently at the Arise Music Festival in Loveland. (He had a great time staying up until 4 a.m. meeting his favorite artists, he said.)
Martinez’s latest project? Suing the U.S. government for violating his constitutional rights by enabling continued exploitation of fossil fuels.
At the end of this month, Martinez will share his story on ABC’s second annual WE Day broadcast, a one-hour commercial-free special that explores social issues such as the environment, homelessness and inner-city violence. Celebrities including Charlize Theron, Orlando Bloom, Selena Gomez and Seth Rogen will give speeches and performances at the event. (Kermit the Frog introduced Martinez with “New Girl” actress Zooey Deschanel; her hair was shorter than his, he noted.)
“It’s cool to be invited to represent the youth voice, being a young activist and leader,” Martinez said. “I’m a normal 16-year-old kid, and I feel like I brought the perspective that you don’t have to be famous to make a difference. I was there to hold it down and show that each of us have the potential to make a change.”
After being in the spotlight for so long, Martinez is used to dealing with people older than him in decision-making positions. But when asked about whether or not his age poses a disadvantage in those interactions, he said that while initially it might, people come around eventually.
“Once people understand the sincerity of my message and that I represent a demographic that isn’t heard, they listen,” he said. “I’m not talking about just politics or money or religion, I’m talking about the world that my generation is going to be left with. It’s a very sincere, honest perspective.”
But Martinez has made sacrifices to put himself in that position. He said he loves hip-hop and dancing but wasn’t able to attend a class for months because of his traveling. He also gave up gymnastics and soccer because there
“It’s always been my responsibility to pass on the things my father taught me to my kids, so I feel very grateful that he receives this knowledge and carries it eloquently to other people, like a strong and beautiful bridge. It’s always been a joy to watch him grow and unfold.” Siri Martinez, about his son Xiuhtezcatl, above