About Thania
The Kitchen and the Land: Ancestral seeds of resistance

Instagram: @lathan_marreros
Location: Tecoltemic, Ixtacamaxtitlán, Puebla, Mexico

Yessica Thania Martínez Marreros was born in Nahua territory in the northern mountains of Puebla, Mexico. She identifies as an Indigenous woman and spokesperson for historical struggles, justice, and peace. A young communicator, she has taken root in her hometown of Tecoltemic, a mountain village.

For Thania, the land is a space that nurtures the soul, beginning in the body. Her land is both geographical and symbolic, providing identity, security, and history. It is where she finds genuine connection — with nature, space, other living beings, and time.

“If my land could speak, it would say that I am on the right path. That I take root to help it flourish even in times of drought; but also, that it enjoys the moments when I am like a bee sharing pollen of rebellion in other territories.”
Thania Marreros

For her, climate justice is about naming and holding accountable the main drivers of climate change — those who, through structural, socioeconomic, and intergenerational inequalities, cause harm to others. It is about confronting this from hope, collectivity, the land, and celebration.

Thania’s project

In Tecoltemic, Puebla, traditional diets and ancestral food practices are being displaced by processed foods and commercial products. This shift threatens food sovereignty, especially for women and children, and undermines the passing-on of knowledge about local crops, medicinal plants, and community-based care.

This project creates intergenerational dialogue circles and practical workshops for 8 young Nahua women, with the indirect participation of 38 other women, focusing on organic gardening, water harvesting, composting, and preparation of ancestral dishes. Participants will grow vegetables and medicinal plants, recover traditional culinary practices, and reflect on the impact of industrialised foods and climate change on their food systems.

Through collective learning, documentation, and the creation of a recipe book and living memory archive, the project strengthens women’s leadership in sustaining food, identity, and territory. By fostering networks of mutual care and reviving ancestral knowledge, it empowers women as agents of change and supports food sovereignty for current and future generations in Tecoltemic.

Learn more about the Amos Climate Fellowship →