As a child Esther was sent to boarding school, where she was punished if she spoke her native language. However Esther did not forget her language. She graduated in 1930. She raised ten children and worked as a school cook or janitor in various jobs. She was working at John F. Kennedy Middle School in San Juan Pueblo when she was asked to for her help in documenting the Tewa language. She worked at creating the first Tewa dictionary. It has been revised to reflect different dialects but is still used. She also translated the New Testament into Tewa.
She worked to establish Tewa durriculum into the school system, and through her efforts many children have been taught their native language in schools. She is also a story teller. Traditionally storytelling took place in the winter. This was because of the longer nights. Stories were told to teach survival tips and socialization skills. Storytelling would start with children's stories. She has published several children stories based on her culture. She also traveled with Storytelling International and told many stories. This would be in English. She published a memoir, "My Life in San Juan Pueblo: Stories of Esther Martinez" in 2004.
She died at age 94. She was honored with by the Endowment for the Arts for folk and traditional artists. A law she had proposed for language immersion schools was also passed, expanding funding for schools.
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