Action art of Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner
Marshall Island Artist- Performance Art, Environmental Art, Poetry
Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner – Marshall Islands. I am a writer and performer of Marshall Islander ancestry – jowi en̄ ao ke Ri-mae, im n̄a juon ledrik in Aur, Jaluit, Likiep, Ebon, im Namdrik. I was born in the Marshall Islands, raised in Hawai’i, and am currently based in Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands.
My primary creative practice explores my culture’s rich storytelling and how they intersect and dialogue with evolving issues threatening our islands and community. My focus has been climate change and the legacy of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. I share these explorations through the mediums of poetry, performance, and media. This practice is also informed by the community organizing I spearhead through the Marshall Islands based nonprofit Jo-Jikum that I co-founded and direct, a nonprofit dedicated to Marshallese youth and environmentalism. In addition to continuing to write and run Jo-Jikum, I am currently serving as Climate Envoy for the Marshall Islands Ministry of Environment, and pursuing my PhD in Pacific Studies at Australia National University.
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