Our Story: This Comes From Blood”

Tiwaya started as a comic based on my indigenous Pueblo heritage as a member of the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo. I weave my culture into the story, using words from our Southern Tiwa language—like Him, the mountain lion transformation. The sacred drum of the Tiwayains is actually my late father's drum, and the creation stories and names I use closely mirror our own.

My Chukeño comic is based on my El Paso, TX heritage. We are the birthplace of the Pachuco, which is why we proudly represent Chuco Town.

The art runs deep in my family. My Indigenous Beauty piece is my girlfriend's face—she is Navajo, representing Mother Moon and all indigenous women—combined with my grandmother's pottery designs. My father was a second-generation Pueblo pottery painter and maker, and I feature his pottery in picture form. I’ve been practicing the craft myself, and hopefully soon I can have my own pottery up and be the third generation to continue our family’s legacy.

My logo for Tiwa is an altered variation of my tribe's People of the Sun symbol, with the mountain lion representing the Tiwayains, my father's pottery designs, and hanging eagle feathers.

This is more than just a comic or a business to me. This is my blood. The power of my ancestors in every work.