Michael G. Johnson was a scholar of Native American studies. He researched the history and culture of diverse indigenous cultures of North America for more than 50 years during which he visited more than 30 Indian communities and reservations. He set new standards of scholarship and wrote for both academics and non-specialist readers. Johnson was associate editor of American Indian Crafts and Culture magazine, a contributing writer to Whispering Wind magazine, and the author of more than 15 books still in print. In July 2000, he received The Denali Press Award from the American Library Association. Johnson died in August 2019 at the age of 82.

Bill Yenne is the author of over three dozen books on historical topics, including The Encyclopedia of North American Indian Tribes and Sitting Bull, which was number 14 on Amazon's 100 Best Books of 2008, and to which Publishers Weekly gave a starred review and New Yorker said "excels as a study in leadership". He has appeared on the National Geographic Channel and served as a consultant for the History Channel's Command Decision program covering the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He lives in San Francisco.