Indigenous tribes in Texas as part of a new Indigenous Affairs team

Ivan Flores

Ivan Armando Flores is a photojournalist for the Texas Observer, an Austin-based nonprofit news organization, covering the state's Indigenous communities. As a freelance photographer, Flores focused on migration, refugees, addiction crises and the war in Afghanistan, where he reported from on and off for several years. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, The Guardian and The New York Times. Flores holds a master's degree in journalism from The City University of New York, and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Florida International University. He is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Diversify Photo, an online database of visual storytellers for editors seeking to diversify their rosters. He calls Miami home.

Pauly Denetclaw

Pauly Denetclaw reports for the Texas Observer, an Austin-based nonprofit news organization, covering the state's Indigenous communities. Before coming to the Observer, she was a reporter for the Navajo Times in Window Rock, Arizona, covering youth, LGBTQ2S+, arts, culture, and more. Denetclaw is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and grew up in Manuelito, New Mexico. She's Haltsooí (Meadow People, her mother's clan), and Kinyaa'áanii (Towering House People, her father's clan). Denetclaw's work earned her the Arizona Press Club's top award for both breaking news in the community and coverage of social issues. A recipient of the Native American Journalists Association's award for investigative reporting, Denetclaw teamed up with a journalist to reveal the effects of the Gold King Mine waste spill on tribal communities in New Mexico for National Native News, which airs on radio stations in the U.S. and Canada.

The Texas Observer

The Texas Observer remains the veteran, fearless independent publication that it has been since 1954. For more than 65 years, our commitment to public interest journalism has made the Observer the go-to source for investigative reporting and thorough analysis of the issues shaping Texas. In Texas’ media landscape, we stand alone in our willingness and ability to challenge narratives crafted by the state’s power brokers that create barriers to equal access to prosperity, education, health and dignity. As the mediasphere continues to consolidate, leaving fewer and fewer independent outlets, we remain a strong, independent voice.