Chief Joseph RiverWind

Chief Joseph is an Arawak Taino Indian born on the island of Boriken aka Puerto Rico. He also has additional ancestral Sephardic roots from the Iberian Peninsula and a touch of African heritage. Joseph serves as an appointed Peace Chief between tribal nations, internationally, and as the Ambassador of The Descendants of Puerto Rico’s First Nations. www.DPRFN.com.

If you have not heard of the "Taino", they were and still are the original inhabitants of the Caribbean Islands and the southeast of what native people call Turtle Island. Recent archaeology has discovered trade settlements as far north as middle Georgia where the Muskogee Creek Indians called them Toasi; “People of the Cassava Griddle.” The word “Toa” is the Taino word for the stone griddle used for cooking cassava bread and it is also used for “Mom”. The Taino were the first to discover Columbus wandering lost in the ocean and were the first indigenous people to be named “Indian”. In other words, the tribe of first contact by the Europeans in 1492.

Chief Joseph “AmaHura” RiverWind graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Social Sciences from Mercer University and a Masters in Biblical Studies from Bible University. He served in the U.S. Army on Active Duty and the National Guard as a Military Police Officer and in Air Defense Artillery, receiving an Honorable Discharge in 2000. He is a strong proponent for veterans’ rights, suicide prevention, and a strong supporter of our troops.

For over 18 yrs he has given lectures at universities, schools, churches, synagogues, community programs, and military bases on Native American history, culture, and traditions. He is a strong advocate for keeping the oral traditions of indigenous storytelling, dance and culture alive as well as the tradition of playing the Native American flute.

He and his wife, Dr. Laralyn RiverWind, reside in East Tanasi (Tennessee) and run a non-profit called Firekeepers International. From First Nations to The Nations.