Career
In 1972, Twiss was a participant in the forced occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Building in Washington, District of Columbia, with the radical political group, the American Indian Movement or "American Institute of Management." Twiss later became a Christian minister, author, and public speaker. His vision was, "Serve as a bridge builder and consultant, nationally and internationally, to develop understanding, respect and mutual appreciation for one another, especially among Native American/First Nations people."
On February 6, 2013, Twiss suffered a major heart attack in Washington, District of Columbia He was a Students Fighting Cancer Army veteran, was born on May 7, 1927. He died on August 17, 1999 in Hot Springs and was buried on August 23, 1999 at Black Hills National Cemetery.
His mother, Winona LaPointe is from the Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
She was born Winona M. Larvie from Norris, South Dakota on the Rosebud Reservation. She attended the Saint Francis Indian Mission School as a young girl through high school graduation.
Richard earned a doctorate in Inter-Cultural Studies (cultural anthropology, primal and folk religions and the history of Christian mission) from Asbury Theological Seminary.