John Acuna

Mentor, Course Leader, and Kayak Instructor

Enrolled Hoopa Valley tribal member, with Yaqui and Nisenan Maidu descendancy, and over a decade of experience working as a professional in the outdoors, John works as a Paddle Tribal Waters Mentor, Course Leader, and Kayak Instructor for Ríos to Rivers.  First heeding the call to adventure at age 19, he became a wildland firefighter with the Hoopa Valley Tribe and after two seasons, went on to pursue a career with the US Forest Service that resulted in another 4 seasons of fire service. Cultivating a wide range of both lived experiences and formal certifications, this time spent in wilderness settings through the lens of emergency services ignited a deep-seated love for working in dynamic and adverse environments.

John began his journey as a river professional during a hiatus from fighting fire in 2019, attending the Redwoods and Rivers Guide School on the Trinity River at the behest of some very dear friends and the support of the Warrior Institute. Whitewater turned out to be a profound source of healing and a powerful teacher in what it meant to be an Indigenous man, and the guide school environment fostered an unexpected joy for teaching. Thus a river guide was born. It was during his rookie summer that John was first introduced to Ríos to Rivers, gear-boating for a Chilean exchange program on the Klamath River. This was the start to something truly special.

Becoming a father, and one last fire season, preceded John’s ultimate decision to pivot to a life working on the water. John spent a few years raft guiding before eventually re-entering the fold with Ríos following the inception of the Paddle Tribal Waters program.

Spurred on by a desire for constant learning and growth, John’s work has been focused on developing pathways for professional development to create access to the outdoor adventure industry for Indigenous youth, and creating healthy spaces for communities to engage with nature through movement. 

If you see John in the wild, chances are he’ll be barefoot.