Stella Calahasen was born and raised in the Hamlet of Grouard in Northern Alberta and is a member of the Woodland Cree First Nation. During the long winter nights, her parents told Cree stories and legends that had been handed down from generation to generation. As a mother, Stella shared Cree traditions, practices and beliefs through storytelling with her two children. She was inspired to write books that would give other children an insight into the Cree people and that would retain the Cree language and culture. Stella lives in Edmonton, Alberta.