Diane E. Benson (born 1959) is an Alaskan playwright, actor, poet and politician. Benson was born in Yakima, Washington of White and Tlingit ancestry (her mother being Tax' Hit, Snail House, of the Raven Moiety) and describes herself as "a lifelong Alaskan". She received a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2002. Benson founded the Alaska Native Performance and Film Commission in 1993, and went on to act in its first fully Alaskan production, Kusah Hakwaan (2001). I am originally of the sea, a Sitka girl, a fishing spirit. I live in Chugiak, running dog team for fun, handling them for my son who runs them competitively. I write for my sanity, and being published is just a delightful by-product. I am working on stage scripts again. I am an actress, but am seriously turned on by directing. I just directed the 'Ecstasy of Rita Joe' for University of Alaska Mainstage, a real honor. I do theater workshops with children as an Artist in the School under the Alaska State Arts Council. All I know is I am grabbing life with two sober hands. That's all there is to say. Gunalcheesh."

Fred Bigjim is an Inupiat from the Bering Sea Area born and raised in Nome,and Sinrock Alaska. He graduated from Nome High School, University of Alaska, Harvard University and the University of Washington, has attended the following law schools, Suffolk scholl of Law, Boston,Ma., Antiock Schoool of Law, Washington DC, and Western State Law School, Fullerton,CA.