Born: 1989, Marshall Islands
Died: NA
Country most active: Marshall Islands
Also known as: NA
Marshallese poet Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner uses her work to advocate for environmental issues, particularly connected to climate change, as well as highlighting social injustices related to colonialism, migration and racism. She published her first collection, Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter in 2017 and is also known for the poem Rise: From One Island to Another (2018). In 2014, she performed the piece Dear Matafele Peinem at the United Nations Climate Summit opening ceremony, and was invited to speak at COP21. Her work has been featured in various programs, including the 2018 Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art and an anthology published by the Smithsonian Institution. She also co-founded the non-profit Jo-Jikum (Jodrikdrik in Jipan ene eo e Kutok Maroro), which supports young environmental activists in the Marshall Islands.
Born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Hawaii, Jetn̄il-Kijiner completed her Bachelor’s at Mills College in California and her Master’s at the University of Hawaii. In 2016, her mother, Hilda Heine, became the first woman to lead any sovereign country in Micronesia as president of the Marshall Islands. Heine, a noted women’s rights activist, was also the first person from the Marshall Islands to earn a doctorate.