As one of Dr Martens’ ‘Made Strong’ ambassadors, the 23-year-old spoke to us about his first memories of music and finding strength in numbers
Back in 2015, when he was just 15 years old, musician and climate activist Xiuhztezcatl sued the Obama administration, accusing it of knowingly contributing to climate change through actions that fueled fossil fuel production and greenhouse gas emissions. “The environmental justice work I did as a youth was second nature and a manifestation of the values and education my parents brought us up with,” he explained, reflecting on his early activism work. Since then, Xiuhztezcatl, who hails from Colorado, has merged his career in environmental activism with his passion for creating music.
Now, Xiuhztezcatl is part of the Dr Martens’ ‘Made Strong’ campaign, featuring 14 ambassadors. This campaign celebrates a fresh wave of Dr Martens enthusiasts who redefine vulnerability and explore innovative ways of expressing strength through their unique crafts. Each ambassador embodies the spirit of rebellion in self-expression, contributing to the campaign’s overarching narrative of empowerment.
Below Xiuhztezcatl told us about his start in music, finding strength and working with Dr Martens.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your background and where you grew up?
Xiuhztezcatl: I had a pretty unconventional upbringing, growing up in Boulder, Colorado; I was raised in a mixed household with an Indigenous immigrant father, a white mom, and five siblings. All of them were musical and engaged in community organising at one point. I went back and forth to my people’s homelands in Xochimilco, Mexico often as a child, navigating the careful balance of being born an American with strong ties to my community and Indigenous identity, despite being surrounded by a very white world in the States.
I dropped out of high school halfway through my sophomore year because my climate organizing and music had all my attention already by the age of 16. I travelled and saw the world pretty young and leaving my hometown is what cemented my love for music and art and showed me how powerful and engaged my generation is in shaping our future and building something beyond the injustices and chaos we’ve inherited from our parents.
How did you get involved with music? What was that journey like for you?
Xiuhztezcatl: My mom brought home a free beat-up piano from the Salvation Army when I was seven, and when I started playing it I told her ‘I feel like I’ve done this before’. I’ve been writing, singing, and rapping ever since. Teaching myself to play the piano helped me understand melody and grounded my musical sensibilities. Falling in love with hip-hop by listening to Blackstar, Calle 13, Jurassic 5 and Tupac taught me how to write.
I was 17 when I went on tour for the first time – just me, my sister and two of my best friends opening for other bands, playing shows from Vermont to Miami. We had no idea what we were doing but I fell in love with being on stage and seeing how the music brought so much love and light into every venue we played. The pandemic was like the last great teacher I had which showed me how hard I must work if I really want to be an artist, even in a completely isolated moment when everything was shut down. It ended up pushing me to write the best and most personal music of my life. This year, I’ve been emerging from the cocoon of my creativity and self-discovery, to lay the foundation for this next album and pose of my creative world.
“Strength is community. It is collectivity and interdependence […] one of our greatest flaws as humanity is how we’ve convinced ourselves that we are not a part of the delicate and complex tapestry that is the natural world” – Xiuhtezcatl
How does your work as a musician and an environmental activist cross over?
Xiuhztezcatl: While never being defined by it, my art is informed by my lived experience. By my politics, my identity, and experiences as a mixed Native person, as a child of an Indigenous immigrant, my lifetime of community organising and environmental work. Protest movements have always had artists that reflected the stories and histories that we fight to correct and reimagine. My music is just the most honest and passionate way for me to convey and relate my message and story to the world. It’s also an amazing vehicle for gathering people and creating community.
Being on tour over the last month has reminded me of how powerful and important music is when we get to experience it collectively. It takes on a whole new life when the messages, intention, pain, and love that you pour into your art are reflected in an audience of people who want to receive it. As my environmental work has evolved to be more intersectional and community-oriented, I’ve found music becoming more and more at the centre of what I do.
Where do you find the strength to advocate so fiercely for not only yourself but others and the world?
Xiuhztezcatl: There’s a lot left to fight for. Being around other inspired native youth, other young artists and organisers, who are in their own right building the alternative world that we believe is possible, gives me the strength to carry on and stay grounded. I would be nowhere without my friends and peers who’ve held me down through the waves. From suing the government to touring, to processing political and social crises, I’ve gotten through all of it with the help of my community, and my family, blood and chosen. They keep my ego in check and ensure that.
What does strength mean to you?
Xiuhztezcatl: Strength is community. It is collectivity and interdependence. Nature is the greatest example I can think of, and one of our greatest flaws as humanity is how we’ve convinced ourselves that we are not a part of the delicate and complex tapestry that is the natural world. Which has made us vulnerable, greedy, and shortsighted. As we return to the land and build from the intersections of our struggles, we see our strength shine.
What message do you hope to convey to others, especially young people, about harnessing their own strength to make a positive impact on the world?
Xiuhztezcatl: All great changes that have pushed culture forward and advanced our pursuit of liberation have come from working collectively. Our world and our futures are community-made. It can feel overwhelming and lonely to face the chaos of our world alone. I’ve been there. But when we focus on our relationships with one another and build with community at the centre, we can achieve and create so much. Whether it’s art or social change, our imagination fuels our path forward. And it’s always more fun and more fruitful when we dream and build together.
What was working with Dr Martens like for you?
Xiuhztezcatl: My first time in London to shoot the campaign was a movie. I was shook by how much I loved the city, and the team put together an amazing lineup of talent to highlight for the project. I loved the freedom they gave me to style myself and ensure that the project aligned with my voice and story. I love working with brands that are invested in building long-term partnerships that go beyond a single product or promotional moment. Stoked for what the future holds for myself and Dr Martens!
