Joseph M. Marshall III is a Sicangu Lakota, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. He was raised in a traditional native household by his maternal grandparents, where he learned the ancient tradition of oral storytelling, and his first language is Lakota. Marshall has appeared in several television documentaries, served as a technical adviser for movies, and was a technical adviser and narrator for the miniseries Into the West, in which he played the role of Loved By The Buffalo. He is a practitioner of primitive Lakota archery, having learned from his maternal grandfather the art of handcrafting bows and arrows, and he is a specialist in wilderness survival. Marshall is the author of more than twenty books. The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History is a biography from the viewpoint of the greatest Lakota warrior, based primarily on oral accounts. His other books include The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History, The Long Knives Are Crying (a novel), and The Power of Four: Leadership Lessons of Crazy Horse. In 2005 Marshall released Quiet Thunder: The Wisdom of Crazy Horse (a six-part audio teaching series); Walking with Grandfather: The Wisdom of Lakota Elders; and the unabridged audio version of The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living, now in its twentieth printing. Marshall has also developed a seminar based on the leadership lessons of Crazy Horse.

Honors for Marshall's work include the Beyond Margins Award from the PEN American Center, four Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, the Creative Nonfiction Award from the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Association, and the 2009 Best American Indian Fiction Writer Award from True West magazine. He was a 201 1 finalist in the Spiritual Category of the MS Society Books for a Better Life Award, New York, for To You We Shall Return: Lessons about Our Planet from the Lakota.

Jim Yellowhawk grew up on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. He is an enrolled member of the Itazipco Band of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and of the Onondaga/Iroquois on his mother's side. Yellowhawk has been immersed in the arts of his ancestors since he was a young boy. His grandmother Annie Yellowhawk was a traditional beadworker and role model for traditional ways, and his father, Jerry Yellowhawk, is a passionate artist in a variety of mediums. Yellowhawk graduated from Marion College, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Science in Art. He also studied at Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. Yellowhawk has brought his art to the international community and continues to be invited to perform Lakota men's traditional dance at venues all over the world. He currently resides in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Yellowhawk says, "Traditional spirituality is woven into my daily life, work, practices, and way of being. It keeps me in balance and guides my creative processes. The horse, buffalo, elk, geese, and eagle nations are often represented in my art, in honor of the four winds. While my art comprises diverse media forms, my current passion is for ledger art, a traditional way of recording history for the native peoples in America. My techniques vary according to the feel of each piece. I like to experiment and challenge myself. I would like to leave my mark as an artist in a way that serves all people, and I very much hope to provide a strong and positive role model for native youth."