Reverend John Geddie was a Presbyterian missionary who left Nova Scotia, Canada, for the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) in 1846. He reached Aneityum in May 1848 in the mission ship John Williams. Geddie was accompanied by his wife Charlotte Geddie (nee MacDonald, 1822-) and Thomas Powell of the London Missionary Society. Powell left the island after about a year, and the Geddies remained with Samoan teachers. They were joined by John and Jessie Inglis of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1852. John Geddie retired to Australia in 1872, and died soon afterwards.

Dr Martin Soukup is a Czech cultural anthropologist. Research interests include history and theory of anthropology. He is particularly interested in the cultures of Melanesia. In 2009, he undertook anthropological pre-research field work in Papua New Guinea local communities of Wannang, Kegeslugel, Yawan and returned to Yawan in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.