Iakwe and welcome to my official artist page. My name is Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner. I am a writer and performer of Marshall Islander ancestry – jowi en̄ ao Ri-mae, im n̄a juon ledrik in Aur, Jaluit, Likiep, Ebon, Ailinlaplap im Namdrik. I was born in the Marshall Islands, raised in Hawai’i. I am currently based between Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands, and Portland, Oregon in the United States.
My 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 on the impacts of climate change and the legacy of U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands. I share these explorations through the mediums of poetry, poem videos, art installations, and performance. This practice is also informed by the community organizing I spearhead through the Marshall Islands based nonprofit Jo-Jikum that I co-founded in 2012, a nonprofit dedicated to Marshallese youth and environmentalism, and that has offered over 13 years of grassroots organizing. I am currently serving as Climate Envoy for the Marshall Islands Ministry of Environment, and finishing up my PhD in Pacific Studies at Australia National University.
I am open for bookings and collaborations from August 2025 and on. Please feel free to contact me through the contact form on this website.
