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 in Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands.
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 over 13 years of community organizing I spearheaded through the Marshall Islands based nonprofit Jo-Jikum that I co-founded in 2012, a nonprofit dedicated to Marshallese youth and environmentalism. I am currently serving as Climate Envoy for the Marshall Islands Ministry of Environment, a post I’ve worked at since 2020. In 2025 I completed my PhD in Pacific Studies from Australia National University, “Our Kapijukinen: Climate Adaptation Policy and Poetry in the Marshall Islands.” My interdisciplinary research wove poetry and personal experiences through an analysis of climate coloniality, Marshall Islands government climate adaptation policies, and Marshallese deep time relationships to land and culture.
I am open for bookings and collaborations from 2027 and on. Please feel free to contact me through the contact form on this website.
