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Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

Xiuhtezcatl is a twenty-five-year-old Indigenous environmental activist, recording artist, and author. Since the age of six, he has used his voice and art to inspire a new wave of activism that centers youth and Indigenous perspectives in global climate action.
 
Xiuhtezcatl first emerged as an influential environmental activist in his childhood for protesting the fossil fuel industry in his Colorado community. At fifteen, he became the youngest person to address the United Nations General Assembly on the topic of climate change and, months later, sued the federal government for failing to act on the climate crisis in the landmark lawsuit Juliana v. United States.
 
Over the past decade, Xiuhtezcatl has delivered speeches and performed at more than one hundred conferences, schools, and institutions around the world. His two books, We Rise and Imaginary Borders, are taught in thousands of classrooms, with his work being featured on major media outlets, including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS NewsHour, CNN, MSNBC, and Univision.
 
In recent years, Xiuhtezcatl has solidified his music as an extension of his activism, blending English, Spanish, and his ancestral language, Nawatl, across hip-hop, indie, and Latin genres. Named in TIME magazine’s “30 Under 30” and Rolling Stone’s “25 Under 25” lists, he is the face of global campaigns with brands like Levi’s, Nike, Dr. Martens, and Patagonia.
 
Xiuhtezcatl grew up between Colorado and his Indigenous homelands in Xochimilco, Mexico. He is now based in Los Angeles, where he is working on his upcoming album and composing for film and television. He is represented by Gifted Management, Next Models, and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Imaginary Borders

Books

Imaginary Borders

Live Inspired with Compendium: Now Available from PRH!

Exciting news! Compendium has joined the Penguin Random House family, bringing a proven line of bestselling, sentiment-driven gifts to our extensive and ever-growing catalog. Since 1985, Compendium has been creating meaningful moments with beautiful, thoughtfully made gifts that center connection and celebrate occasions both big and small. From greeting cards to inspirational books to impulse-friendly add-ons, Compendium

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