Environmental scientist and global advocate Jessica Hernandez works to secure women’s rights and to integrate Indigenous science into environmental policy

‘Communities already have the solutions’: why I advocate for Indigenous knowledge

Environmental scientist and global advocate Jessica Hernandez works to secure women’s rights and to integrate Indigenous science into environmental policy

In 2020, while writing her PhD dissertation on bringing land-restoration efforts in urban settings in Seattle under the management of Indigenous peoples, the Indigenous scientist Jessica Hernandez noticed that many of the articles and books she wanted to incorporate were not written by Indigenous people. Moreover, those that were were often not written in English.

She wrote her first book, Fresh Banana Leaves (2022), as a way to help Indigenous peoples feel represented and to integrate Indigenous knowledge into scientific research. The book begins with the story of her father as an Indigenous child who survived the civil war in El Salvador between 1979 and 1992 and highlights Indigenous science, stewardship and land management, and particularly projects led by Indigenous women. “It’s important for more of us to write our own stories and our own books, especially when we’re displaced and not living on our ancestral lands,” she says.

Hernandez’s heritage is both Maya Ch’orti’, an Indigenous Maya group, and Binnizá (Zapotec), an Indigenous people from the Mexican state of Oaxaco. She currently teaches environmental studies at South Seattle College in Washington. Her research focuses on integrating Indigenous knowledge systems — such as kincentric ecology, the concept that all life is interconnected as kin — into restoration and conservation frameworks, and on pushing back against colonialism in ecological efforts. Her work also aims to redefine how the topic of energy is taught in secondary-school curricula, going beyond the physics of it by incorporating concepts of equity, justice and Indigenous knowledge as they are applied to energy access, climate change and sustainability.

She has founded the non-profit organization Earth Daughters, an Indigenous-led mutual-aid collective that supports Indigenous women and young people in Mexico and the United States. Through her work with Earth Daughters, Hernandez has supported the rebuilding of 200 homes in Oaxaca, Mexico, after they were destroyed by an earthquake in 2020; supplied food to about 200 families whose local food sources were wiped out by floods in Mexico; and raised funds to support medical assistance for those affected by the 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles.

Hernandez has another book coming out in November, Growing Papaya Trees, which explores climate displacement through her mother’s journey from Oaxaca to the United States. She tells Nature that, through her writing, she challenges dominant narratives on immigration and elevates Indigenous perspectives that are often left out of mainstream discourse.

What inspired you to learn Western science while maintaining the knowledge that has been passed to you?

My favourite subject was always science, probably because the memories I have of my parents and relatives always revolve around nature. Whether it was walking with my abuelita (grandmother) through the milpas (cornfields) or fishing with my dad, those experiences sparked my curiosity about the natural world. I’d say it also stems from a search for belonging — especially at university, where there aren’t many Indigenous or Latinx students. I tried to find my sense of belonging by connecting with my family’s memories and discovering that same connection in the natural sciences and environmental spaces.

Who has been your biggest influence or mentor and why?

My biggest influence has been my parents. They always tell me, “If you can’t explain what you’re doing to us, you’re not doing your job.” This mindset has shaped how I approach science. It’s easy to get caught up in our fields, explaining things to other scientists, but not necessarily to non-scientists. My parents’ advice has helped me to bridge that gap and to integrate Indigenous knowledge, which often doesn’t align with Western ways of thinking, into my work. If I can explain things to my parents, then I know I can explain them to Indigenous communities or communities of colour.

Why do you invest time in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work for Indigenous peoples and women?

I think of myself, the young girl who entered graduate study and felt really alone and far from home. In a way, I’m healing that part of my life, when I was the only Indigenous student, the only student who was reprimanded or held to different standards compared with my peers — not because I wasn’t academically on the same level, but because of unconscious biases or racism that manifested in how I was treated, especially as a student. I want to comfort that girl who almost quit because she felt overwhelmed.

I want to create a space in which future students see more Indigenous representation and don’t feel as isolated. That’s one of the main reasons why I continue advocating for women and Indigenous peoples through my outreach work, why I founded Earth Daughters and why I collaborated with a non-profit organization known as Landesa to secure land rights for Indigenous communities in both Western and Eastern Africa.

Seeing representation in books and articles, or hearing from others with similar backgrounds, can be empowering, especially in spaces such as academia in which more representation is needed, and that’s what I aimed to achieve with my books. I’ve learnt that change doesn’t always require outside help; often, communities already have the solutions. Seeing how our Indigenous communities are fighting the impacts of climate change, adapting at a rapid rate and still thriving, keeps me passionate. I also recognize the privileges of being able to pursue a master’s degree and PhD, and I know that I can use those letters behind my name to continue discussions on DEI and to challenge dominant narratives while empowering marginalized communities to lead their own change.

Is there anything about your career that you wish you could have done differently?

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02654-z

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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This story originally appeared on: Nature - Author:Vanesa de la Cruz Pavas