In the summer of 2024, a funder approached us with a special request: to facilitate the reprinting of the only two bilingual Tohono O’odham children’s books, originally self-published in 2012. Recognizing the growing local and national support for multicultural literature, we launched Desert Ink Press in the fall of 2024. 

Led by consultant Husi Cazares (enrolled Tohono O’odham member), author and illustrator of our first two bilingual Tohono O’odham children’s books, the press has already developed partnerships with Tohono O’odham entities and five Pima County school districts. This summer, these districts received 5,000 free copies of the books to share with students and families. 

While many books will continue to be distributed free of charge, some will be sold to help offset publishing costs and support the creation of more multicultural, bilingual titles. All proceeds from this social service literacy venture go directly toward providing free books to classrooms and school libraries in Pima County. 

Desert Ink Press benefits from the mentorship of Orca Book Publishers, a Canadian publisher and distributor with extensive experience supporting Indigenous publishing start-ups. Orca also distributes our titles across North America. 

Research consistently shows that the greatest barrier to literacy in the United States is lack of access to books. Students who encounter high-quality, relevant stories—especially ones in which they can see themselves—read more and build stronger literacy skills (see study by First Book). In southern Arizona, there is a pressing need for more high-quality materials that effectively teach history, culture, and language literacy.