Tessa Desnomie comes from the Peepeekisis Cree Nation, Saskatchewan. She studied at the First Nations University of Canada where she researched the traditional work of Indigenous women, and with First Stories: ati-wîcahsin (It's Getting Easier), she celebrates the Woodland Cree culture of her grandmother Jane Merasty. With Second Stories: It Had to Be Done, she confronts the intractable legacy of Canada’s residential school system through the testimony of two survivors. Desnomie has worked in event management, coordinating the opening and closing ceremonies for the North American Indigenous Games, and produced educational videos through Regina’s Studio 10 Productions.