Sinnai Avila

Sinnai Pedro-Avila is a Maya Q’anjob’al and Latina first-generation college student whose goal is to become an Indigenous rights attorney in her home state of California. She grew up near a lead-recycling plant called Exide Technologies, Inc. that contaminated thousands of low-income families and later avoided remediation after successfully arguing for bankruptcy. The environmental injustices she witnessed growing up paralleled many of the environmental injustices her Indigenous relatives faced in Guatemala – a dangerous place to be a land defender. This fueled her commitment to become an advocate for environmental justice and Indigenous peoples’ rights. Sinnai is committed to uplifting Indigenous brilliance while supporting Indigenous communities to protect their cultural sovereignty and natural resources. Sinnai is a 3L at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, home to the renowned Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program.