Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner

Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner

Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner recently released a poem and short film titled “Anointed.” Produced by the Nuclear Legacy Project of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL), the film Anointed explores the forgotten stories of Enewetak Atoll and Bikini Atoll (where the United States conducted 67 nuclear bomb tests after World War II) and of the immense concrete dome of leaking nuclear waste on Runit Island. Kathy was born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Hawai‘i. She has written a widely celebrated and deeply profound collection of poetry, which highlights issues around the environment and climate change as well as social injustices related to colonialism, migration, and racism. In 2014, Kathy was selected from more than 500 candidates to represent the voice of civil society and address the United Nations Climate Change Summit. After performing her piece “Dear Matafele Bingum” at the opening ceremony in New York, she received a standing ovation. Kathy’s work includes the first published book of poetry written by someone from the Marshall Islands, Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter (University of Arizona Press, 2017). She is also the cofounder of the environmental nonprofit organization Jo-Jikum, which supports Marshallese youth in taking action on climate change and environmental issues. In 2015, she was selected by Vogue Magazine as one of 13 Climate Warriors, and in 2017, she was named Impact Hero of the Year by Earth Company.