Edward Hedican is a Professor Emeritus from the University of Guelph, Canada, whose primary field of study is cultural anthropology. For most of his career, he has conducted research among Canada’s Indigenous peoples, such as the Anishinaabe of northern Ontario in the subarctic region around Lake Nipigon. He has also studied the history of Irish immigrants to Canada in the post-famine period, which involved an in-depth analysis of various genealogical, census and demographic documents in both Ireland and Canada. He is the author of over a dozen books, such as Beyond the Beaten Path: 50 Years of Anthropology in Canada (2023), When the Spirit Calls: The Killings at Hannah Bay (2023) and Ipperwash: The Tragic Failure of Canada’s Aboriginal Policy (2013).

Caroline Yesno, the co-author of this book, is Johnny Yesno’s sister. For this reason, she is able to provide valuable pertinent inside family information concerning Mr. Yesno’s life that would otherwise not be available in the usual biography. This information is not only based on the observations that other family members were able to make concerning Johnny’s life, but also the written communications between the two of them throughout their lives. In addition, Caroline has been employed for many years as an educational coordinator for the Eabametoong (Fort Hope) First Nation which is situated in northwestern Ontario, and so in this professional capacity she has become familiar with the general social, economic and political trends and contexts of the Indigenous community from which Mr. Yesno began his life. There is also a direct connection between Caroline and the other author of this book, Edward Hedican, since his own daughters are also members of the Eabametoong First Nation and have been in contact with Caroline on numerous occasions regarding their educational goals and objectives.