I designed this Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo 2021 Year-End Report for the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (YDSP), a federally recognized Native American tribe in El Paso, Texas. The people are called Tigua, and their native language is Southern Tiwa. YDSP is the oldest community in Texas and the longest-running government in the state since the tribe’s establishment in 1683.
The 2021 Year-End Report features arroyo plant clippings of creosote, mesquite, and sage slipped into the spiral binding, with brown kraft cardstock, fabric corners, and white-printed silhouettes on its cover, the report evokes the look of a vintage field guide, elevated.
The inside showcases plants of the Chihuahuan Desert that the tribe has used medicinally for perhaps over a millennia, and details their traditional names and uses. Vellum sheets separate these trompe-l'œil photos of flora throughout and read as wildflowers that have been tucked inside for pressing—both as intentional, prized specimens as well as casually, to enliven pages.
It was a true privilege to work on this project. Hiking in the sacred Hueco Tanks with tribal member Rick Quezada, I learned much about the healing power of plants I see everyday here in El Paso.
Thanks once again to Helix Solutions with whom it is always a pleasure to work, and to Tovar Printing of El Paso, Texas for their expert execution.
