Jamie Jeffries, who illustrated Ch`askin, was born in Sechelt, British Columbia, and has lived there all his life. He grew up in an artistic family; his mother, Corinne Jeffries, weaves Native baskets, and it was his cousin, Arnold Jones, who first taught him the art of carving wood twenty years ago. His career as a carver has continued since then, and he has worked on many carvings and totems in the Sechelt area, including those that stand in front of the Sechelt Community Hall. In the past ten years, he has also become an accomplished engraver of silver and gold.