Marilyn James is a matriarch of the Sinixt First People and leader of the Autonomous Sinixt Smum iem (traditional governance council, Smum iem means "belongs to the women" in that women are the life-givers who are responsible for the well-being of the land and the community).  Marilyn has been seminal in the initial conception of, and direction of, the Snk̛míp Dig Deeper project and she is a pivotal and major presence in the film itself.  She has also co-directed other films such as Beyond Extinction: Sinixt Resurgence (with Ali Kazimi) and is the co-author of Not Extinct: Keeping the Sinixt Way (Maa Press, 2018, 2021) with Taress Alexis.  Marilyn James lives at nk̓ʕáwxtən (Vallican, B.C.) where she is the caretaker of the burial sites of 64 Sinixt ancestors whose remains were returned to her people from museums and collections -- returned back to their rightful place in Sinixt territory.  She is an accomplished storyteller of traditional and contemporary Sinixt stories. Marilyn holds a Masters of Education degree from Simon Fraser University and has worked extensively in the field of curriculum development. She is an ardent advocate for her ancestors and the land and water of their təmxʷúlaʔxʷ (territory).

Lorna Visser is executive director of the Valhalla Foundation for Ecology which is co-producing Snk̛míp Dig Deeper with Marilyn James and the Autonomous Sinixt.  As leader of a conservation-oriented land trust organization, they quickly realized that settler conservation activists hold a special responsibility when it comes to reconciliation with First Peoples. From that realization they connected with and learned from local representatives of the Sinixt People... and from that connection this film was born.  Lorna holds a degree in Journalism (Mount Royal College) and has worked as a journalist, corporate communications professional, magazine editor, fundraiser for national charities, and for decades as a consultant to the charitable sector.  A passionate and outspoken life-long environmental activist, Lorna is responsible for campaigns that secured large parcels of land for conservation, and for that work was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service.  Lorna recently turned 65 and is delighted to have become an official 'senior citizen.'  Looking back, it's clear every role in their lifelong career has involved writing and communications in one form or another but this is the first time they've written, produced and directed a documentary film.