Mike Cline taught many years in the Alaskan bush and, for two years, lived in Huslia, the village that inspired Bear Hunter. Impressed by the villagers' independence and how their children were taught the "old ways," he wanted to record what things were like then, especially concerning the rites surrounding bears. Mike has written professional and popular articles including several about Huslia: "Huslia's Hole Hunters," "Huslia-Village on the Move," and "Spring and 'the Rat'" which were published in Alaska Magazine. "Huslia's Hole Hunters" was included in The Last Frontier, Incredible Tales of Survival, Exploration, and Adventure from Alaska Magazine described as "fifty-nine stories representing sixty-seven years of the best writing in Alaska." He is the author of a book: Tannik School, The Impact of Formal Education on the Eskimos of Anaktuvuk Pass. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon specializing in culture change and its impact on Native Alaskans. Mike and his wife Dotty live and write in Homer, Alaska.