Talking strike. Quitting school. Mobilizing millions for the climate. You know Itz as the younger bro of Xiuhtezcatl, the awesome sacred activists and Earth Guardians music artists, but Itz has now surprised X and the world, when after the UN meetings in New York (the big climate march), where he had heard from loads and loads of scientists how climate change will destroy civilization and 50+% of species within our lifetime, unless we avoid the critical shift of warming within the next handful of YEARS. In despair of hearing this, and knowing that politicians and big business people have done close to nothing for twenty years (and Itz is only 11!), but keep acceperating warming and destruction, even lie and spread false information in media to avoid any changes… he wrote a note saying that he will no longer speak, until world leaders take action.
On Day 4, Xiuhtezcatl shared this…
My little bro just spent the last hour or more crying about some really negative comments he is getting from kids in his school. They are basically calling him a freak and one kid is always calling him She Man because he has never cut his hair. In our tradtion our hair is sacred but they dont understand that. They are telling him things like the reason you are silent is because the barber wont cut your hair. This kind of teasing is a really hard thing for any kid to deal with. We are both very different then most kids in school anyway so his decision to go on this silent strike has really made him a target. It is already so frustrating for him not being able to communicate clearly what he is feeling and going through and why he is doing what he is doing. The kids say it won’t make a difference anyway when he tries to explain it to then on his writing board.
He said his science teacher hasn’t been very supportive and says he is giving him an f because he is not participating in class and when Itzcuauhtli raises his hand to write an answer on his writing board the teacher just passes him by. There is another teacher to who is giving him a hard time about his strike. I really want to send some prayers out to him to be strong and feel the love and support he is getting from people all around the world. I also told him tonight that we will all love and respect him even if he decides to speak again sooner then he wanted to but he says no he doesn’t want to speak until atleast after the climate stike on Dec. 10th.
So everyone please send him your love and support and if you haven’t signed up on his website to join him on the 10th for an hour of silence please try to www.climatesilencenow.org
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Day 21
As a family we have come to a decision that the public school environment is not serving the incredible spirit and best interest of my little bro Itzcuauhtli. My mom had a very frustrating call with the principle who said the teachers are frustrated by his talking strike and that maybe she should consider home schooling him which she highly agrees would be best. She has never been happy about us being in the public school system but it was something we wanted to experience so she supported us. He and I both home schooled for the first few years of our lives but we wanted to check it out.
It was actually one of the greatest gifts I could have been given because it helped me understand the dysfuntion within the school system and how we are not supported and honored as individuals but put into a box to become machines to fullfill the American dream. I have been able to incorporate the lessons I have learned there into my messaging and advocate for a new way of educating and empowering young people in this changing world that we are being left with.
There are alot of amazing teachers especially here where we live but they have to conform to a system to make sure we fit into a status quo which is determined by our grades and being able to do the exact same thing as thousands of other students. It doesn’t support our creative individuality and we spend our day racing from 45 minute class to class stressed out and then 2 hours of homework on top of that. If we don’t change our educational systems we really wont have a chance because kids growing up in a stressful system are learning to make the same mistakes past generations have made.
My brother is holding strong after three weeks of not speaking and is riding a wave of feeling very empowerd by all of the incredible people who are rising up to address climate change and the feeling of despair because of the crisis we face as a global community. Please join with him on Dec 10th for a talking stike that will empower us all to be leaders and to send a message to the so called leaders that we are rising up to defend our future! if you haven’t signed up at www.climatesilencenow.org to join us by spreading his powerful message please do so NOW!. #climatesilencenow #ourfuturematters#earthguardians
In my brothers sacrifice, we are all reminded that there is power in our silence and when broken can become an amplifier to unite us and spread our message across boarders! Our future depends on it!! I am so proud of him!
Visit his website Climate Silence Now to find out more.