Xiuhtezcatl Martinez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
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Martinez in 2016
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Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
May 9, 2000 Colorado, U.S.
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Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez (born May 9, 2000) is an American environmental activist and hip hop artist. He is also known as X. Until 2019, Martinez was the Youth Director of an organization called Earth Guardians.
Martinez has often spoken about the problems caused by burning fossil fuels. He has given speeches at the United Nations many times. He became well-known after a speech in 2015 at the United Nations General Assembly. He gave this speech in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl.
Martinez was one of 21 young people who sued the U.S. government. This lawsuit, called Juliana v. United States, started in 2015. It argued that the government was not doing enough about climate change. In May 2024, the court decided to dismiss the case. Martinez was also part of a similar lawsuit in Colorado, Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which was filed in 2013. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against the young people in January 2019.
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About Xiuhtezcatl's Family
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez was born in Colorado. He moved to Mexico when he was a baby. Later, he lived with his family in Boulder, Colorado until 2019. After that, they moved to Portland, Oregon.
His mother, Tamara Roske, helped start the Earth Guardian Community Resource Center. This was a high school in Maui, Hawaii. She was the Executive Director of Earth Guardians until May 2021. Xiuhtezcatl has two younger siblings, a sister named Tonantzin and a brother named Itzcuauhtli.
His father, Siri Martinez, taught him about the traditions of the Mexica people. These are historic Indigenous peoples of Mexico. Because of this heritage, Xiuhtezcatl believes that people are part of nature. He sees harming nature as "tearing apart a fragile and respected system."
How Xiuhtezcatl Became an Activist
When he was a child, Xiuhtezcatl started his activism in 2009. He asked a city council in Colorado to stop using pesticides in city parks. He called his mom and gathered other kids to help. Together, they helped change the law.
As a teenager, Martinez gave TED talks. He was also asked to speak at the United Nations about environmental policy. In June 2015, when he was 15, he spoke to the UN General Assembly about climate change. He spoke in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl. Martinez asked for quick action on climate. He said, "What's at stake right now is the existence of my generation."
That same year, he joined a music competition for young artists. They created music to inspire talks at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Martinez's song, "Speak for the Trees," won the Jury Award.
Martinez believes that education and young people are key to big changes for the environment. He says that protests and lifestyle changes are not enough. He thinks real change will come from "people power, power of young people." In 2016, he talked about young people using technology. He said technology can bring people together for shared causes. He sees it as a powerful tool for connecting with others.
Xiuhtezcatl grew up as a vegetarian and is now a vegan. He cares deeply about how food connects to the planet. He believes that understanding our food helps heal our relationship with Earth.
Earth Guardians Organization
Earth Guardians is an environmental group started by Xiuhtezcatl's family in 1992. Martinez was the Youth Director until 2019. After that, he became a co-Youth Director with Marlow Baines.
The group's goal is to "inspire and train diverse youth to be effective leaders." They work on environmental, climate, and social justice issues. They use art, music, stories, and legal action to find solutions. Earth Guardians organizes climate strikes and encourages young people to vote.
Lawsuits for Climate Action
In 2013, Xiuhtezcatl and six other young people sued the state government of Colorado. He was the main person in the case called Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. In January 2019, the Colorado Supreme Court decided against the young people. They asked the court to look at the decision again, but the court said no.
In 2015, Martinez and 21 other young people filed a lawsuit against the US Federal government. This case was named Juliana et al. v United States et al. They argued that the government was denying their constitutional rights. They said this was happening by ignoring climate change. The young people in the lawsuit were between 9 and 20 years old. Ten of them had Black or Indigenous backgrounds. After many years in court, the lawsuit was dismissed on May 1, 2024.
Supporting Political Leaders
In April 2019, Martinez wrote an article in Teen Vogue. In it, he supported Bernie Sanders for president. He wrote, "I believe Bernie Sanders has our back on climate change." In December 2018, Martinez also spoke with Sanders at an event called "Solving the Climate Crisis."
Awards and Recognition
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez has received several important awards:
- In 2013, President Barack Obama gave him the U.S. Volunteer Service Award.
- In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine put him on their "25 under 25" list. This list features young people who are expected to change the world.
- In 2018, he won a Generation Change Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
- In December 2018, Remezcla named Martinez to their list of "30 Latinxs Who Made an Impact in Their Communities in 2018."
Books by Xiuhtezcatl
- Imaginary Borders (2020)
- We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement That Restores the Planet (2017)
Movies Featuring Xiuhtezcatl
- In 2020, he appeared in the Netflix documentary Youth v Gov. This film was about the Juliana court case.
- In 2021, he was one of the activists in the French documentary film Bigger Than Us.
See also
In Spanish: Xiuhtezcatl Martínez para niños
