“We must first be connected to the land, Maka Ina, before we can understand the urgency with which we need to save her. Without that spiritual connection, the connection to the land, the traditional ecological knowledge we cannot truly even begin to understand how to save her.”   

Joe is half Yaqui Indian and half German, born in Virginia and raised in Southern California. His Father, Ricarte Morales, a full blood Yaqui, was born in Somerton Arizona and his mother Anna Morales was born in Gunzburg Germany. Over the last 44 years Joe has learned and been given the ceremonies and teachings he carries today.

Through the guidance and teachings of Leonard Crow Dog, Warfield Moose, David Blacksmith, Billy Bryant, Keith Lussier, Clyde Bellecourt, Francis Eastman, JB Weston, and others he carries that spiritual base in all that he does. Joe passionately believes that sharing traditional ecological knowledge, traditional teachings, and ceremony with everyone is vital to the healing of Maka Ina (Mother Earth).

Joe has been involved with many struggles including working against the Nevada Nuclear test site, Peabody Coal and PL93531 on the Dine’ (Navajo) reservation, Desert Storm, DAPL and Line3 and for LandBack and Food Sovereignty, treaty rights and MMIWR to name a few. At the core of all his activism is Joe’s deep held belief in the concept of Mitakuye Oyasin (we are all related) and that what we do must come from a spiritual place, Taku Skan (the flow).