The Marshall Islands stand as a poignant symbol at the confluence of global ecological and historical crises. Faced with the dual legacies of American nuclear testing and rising sea levels driven by climate change, the Marshallese people have emerged as both resilient stewards of their homeland and vital voices in the global conversation on sustainability.
In August 2023, the Kõmij Mour Ijin / Our Life Is Here expedition—organized by artists Michael Light, Kathy Jetńil-Kijiner, and David Buckland of Cape Farewell with support from the Stellar Blue Fund and Waverley Street Foundation—brought together 20 international, Oceanian, and Marshallese artists, writers, scientists, and filmmakers with Marshallese youth from the nonprofit Jo-Jikum to bear witness to the cultural and ecological realities of this Pacific nation.Aboard the M/V Pacific Master and M/V Surveyor, the team traversed 450 nautical miles of ocean—encountering traditional maritime practices, the legacy of U.S. nuclear testing colliding with the urgency of rising sea levels, and vibrant yet vulnerable communities.
From their profound experiences, artists returned to their respective homes around the globe and developed proposals for an exhibition. Jo-Jikum, which was co-founded by Jetñil-Kijiner,supports the next generation of Marshallese to navigate and develop solutions to environmental issues impacting their islands such as pollution, climate change, and nuclear legacies. Jo-Jikum means "your home" or "your place" in Marshallese, referencing "Jodrikdrik in Jipan̄ Ene Eo Ekutok Maroro" or "Youth helping the land that is green and lush." Each young participant on the voyage was selected based on a self-directed project they proposed to explore aboard the vessel—designed to examine their own futures and investigate how to make their nation of 27 atolls sustainable.
