Highlights - Dr. Jessica Hernandez - Author of “Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science"

Social Justice & Activism: The Creative Process: Activists, Environmental, Indigenous Groups, Artists & Writers Talk Diversity, Equity & inclusion

"So oftentimes, when we talk about genocide, especially in the United States, it's something that happened in the past, but for many communities, especially outside of the United States, genocide is something that can be traced to our parents', to our grandparents' generations, so it's not necessarily that long ago. So for my father, he was a child soldier during the Central American Civil War that has been coined a genocide by the United Nations because it targeted Indigenous peoples, especially in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. So during that time, he was 11 years old when he was forced to either join the military or join the opposition, which was community-led to reclaim our land. It was like a Land Back movement because a lot of our land was being sold to international corporations that introduced these monocultural, agricultural entities, and plantations. So we have these introductions of bananas and coffees into our lands."

Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Binnizá & Maya Ch’orti’) is a transnational Indigenous scholar, scientist, and community advocate based in the Pacific Northwest. She has an interdisciplinary academic background ranging from marine sciences to environmental physics. She advocates for climate, energy, and environmental justice through her scientific and community work. Her book Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science breaks down why western conservationism isn’t working–and offers Indigenous models informed by case studies, personal stories, and family histories that center the voices of Latin American women and land protectors. In 2022, she was named by Forbes as one of the 100 most powerful women of Central America. She holds appointments at Sustainable Seattle, City of Seattle's Urban Forestry Commission, and the International Mayan League. Fresh Banana Leaves received the Bruce Piasecki and Andrea Masters Award on Business and Society Writing (2022).

www.jessicabhernandez.com

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