John Henni was born in the village of Misanenga, municipality of Obersaxen, in the canton of Graubünden, in Switzerland.
Right in the heart of the mainly Romansh-speaking Surselva (which encompasses the valley of the Vorderrhein, along with all of its side valleys, among others the Val Lumnezia), Obersaxen is an island of German-speakers.
Ruis is situated in the middle of the Surselva valley and encompasses both sides of the valley ranging from Obersaxen to Waltensburg.