Niria Alicia is a Xicana climate justice activist, community organizer, protector, educator, writer and storyteller who dedicates her life to ending the desecration of Mother Earth, protecting the sacred and defending those most vulnerable from oppression and suffering.
Niria was born in a migrant farmworker community so her fight for liberation and justice exists at the intersections of migrant justice, climate justice and indigenous rights. She believes that in order for her to fulfill her responsibilities as a traditional seed keeper, the lands on which she lives must be stewarded by indigenous peoples. In honor of this she has been one of the core organizers of the Run4Salmon prayer, a spiritual journey led by Chief Caleen Sisk to defend California’s water, restore salmon runs and revitalize indigenous lifeways.
Niria Alicia believes that the only way we will ever achieve justice is by rematriating land, honoring the sacredness of women and revitalizing indigenous values that center the sacredness of Mother Earth. Niria Alicia is committed to fully surrendering to Creators will. For nearly a decade this commitment has lead her to the frontlines of the US Mexico border crisis providing food and humanitarian aid to her migrant families, to the UN Climate Talks where she has been a speaker and lead direct actions and to Standing Rock and Mauna Kea where she has served preparing meals in kitchens, cleaning porter potties and picking up trash.
As an organizer, social media specialist, and digital fundraising strategist she has led campaigns, projects and prayer walks with Earthjustice, SustainUS, Our Children’s Trust, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, No More Deaths, Honor the Earth, Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, Winona’s Hemp and most recently the Women’s Earth Alliance. She recently led an environmental justice youth leadership academy with farmworker youth in the Salinas Valley working closely with farmworker communities to fight for protections for children and communities experiencing the negative impacts of Big Ag.
She is presently co-leading SustainUS’ first-ever indigenous youth delegation to the UN Climate Talks in Spain collaborating with other indigenous youth delegations from around the world to continue putting collective pressure on global leaders to defend human and indigenous rights and kick polluters out of COP.
