Bob (Robert) Joseph is an Indigenous person, or more specifically, a status Indian.
He inherited a chief’s seat in the Gayaxala (Thunderbird) clan, the first clan of the Gwawa’enuxw, one of the eighteen tribes that make up the Kwakwaka'wakw.
His chief name is K’axwsumala’galis, which, loosely translated, means "whale who emerges itself from the water and presents itself to the world."
[citation needed] As a youngster, he lived on and off reserve, spending time in Vancouver, Cape Mudge, Lillooet and Kingcomb Inlet, which opens up to the Broughton Archipelago.
[1][2] He has been an associate professor at Royal Roads University, and a guest lecturer at other academic institutions.