Commentary: We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement That Restores the Planet by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
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Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (pronounced Shoe-Tez-Caht) tells the story of climate change through its solutions, blurring the line between hope and despair in a conversation that oftentimes seems so impossibly bleak and instead filling it with joy, urgency, and inspiration. For those seeking a climate change book that will actually connect you with approachable, imaginative, and meaningful ideas for action, this is it.
I just finished reading this how-to-guide/interview anthology/consciousness-building experience for the Decolonize This Book Club and it deeply resonated with our group for its youthful voice, its vibrancy of ideas, its indelible spirit, and its liberation-oriented problem-solving. I selected this book for our April read because April = Earth Day; it's the month of the year when people are talking about the health of our planet. Spring is in the air and with it a reminder that our current ways are unsustainable. Reflecting on this time of year, I asked myself, "Whose voices need to be heard most-- honored, respected, listened to, and supported?" The answer was clear: Indigenous youth-- the frontline leaders protecting our water, land, and sky. They are who we should all be listening to in this conversation; we should be following their leadership. Based on that decision, I found this book and have been eagerly awaiting April ever since.
As a 17-year-old indigenous climate activist and hip-hop artist, Xiuhtezcatl's voice is so special and needed in the environmental justice movement. He shares pieces of his own activist story-- starting at the young age of 6-- and how he got involved with the Earth Guardians, an organization made up of young activists, artists, and musicians from around the world combating climate change in their communities. Throughout the book, we learn about climate change science, we listen in on conversations with justice fighters, we see real-life examples of climate change around the world, and (most importantly) we are shown dozens and dozens of solutions ranging from the individual to the global, from the traditional to the new, from the frontline fighters to the school-aged kids, from that which is frightening to that which is healing.
The emphasis here on youth-led climate activism was so refreshing and significant. We as young people are the inheritors of climate change and we will bear many of the consequences. Many of us already have. And while that is infuriating, scary, and terribly sad, reading about the ideas our kids have to protect the earth and one another was rejuvenating. Our imaginations are what will bring about liberation.