Crusading teen taking on world
A teenage climate change activist wants to plant the seeds of inspiration and action in young New Zealanders.
Xiuhtezcatl (Shu-tez-kaht) Martinez from Boulder, Colorado today finishes teaching a four-day youth leadership workshop in Takaka as part of the Aotearoa Rising Youth for Sustainable Earth tour or ARYSE.
The 16-year-old said the workshop, attended by 35 young leaders, aimed to inspire change, and develop the skills needed to achieve that.
‘‘We have a responsibility to leave behind a beautiful legacy on this earth for the future generations, and a part of that is using our passion to create change,’’ he said.
‘‘We, as young people, have an incredible amount of power. When young people speak up, adults will listen, more so I think than when adults do.’’
Martinez is an eco hip-hop artist and leader of the global youthled environmental movement Earth Guardians which has over 700 groups worldwide.
He has featured in Time magazine and Rolling Stone. He was the 2015 recipient of the Peace First Prize and is well-known for his TED talks.
He made headlines around the world when he stood before the UN Earth Summit in 2015 to speak about environmental policy, and along with a group of young people, is currently suing the US government for destroying his future.
An indigenous Meshika of the Aztec people of Mexico City, Martinez was raised with his father’s indigenous roots and is trilingual, speaking his native Nahuatl language, Spanish and English. He said his activism began when he was just six yearsold when he watched Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary, The Eleventh Hour.
‘‘It just woke me up. It showed me the destruction of the world and that this planet is falling apart. That really got me excited to do something about it, to use my voice. I started talking about my community and protecting it from the pesticides and chemicals.‘‘
He also performed his ecoconscious hip-hop in a concert in Takaka on Saturday evening with local musicians as support, and he has shows at Tahunanui beach and Neudorf Vineyard up next.
‘‘I’ve been making music to raise awareness and talk about some of these issues,’’ he said.
‘‘Every song I create has a purpose, it doesn’t mean they are all about the environment, but it’s a way I can reach people and talk about a message. It makes it more accessible for different kinds of people.’’
Martinez said the land in New Zealand was ‘‘unreal’’.
‘‘I’ve never seen water so clear. We went to [te Waikoropupu] springs, it was definitely a highlight,’’ he said.
‘‘The leadership from the Maori community with the initiative to protect and preserve the springs is amazing. It so interesting to see how alive the [Maori] culture is here. It gives me faith and hope.’’
He had also been learned about the country’s unique environmental issues, including the impact of logging, and the controversial use of 1080.
‘‘It’s a big environmental problem dumping chemicals onto the earth, we should be smart enough to find an alternative than poison pellets.’’
Martinez will feature in several more events on Friday, including a powhiri at Te Awhina Marae in Motueka at 11.30am, a hip-hop show at Tahunanui Summer Sounds at 6pm and a guest appearance with Fly My Pretties and Tiki Tane at Neudorf Vineyard from 8pm.