Sḵwálwen Botanicals is an Indigenous skincare brand that honours cultural knowledge, Indigenous plant science and self care. Founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of Squamish First Nation, Sḵwálwen (skwall - win) provides gentle and effective skincare products that draw from the ceremonial aspects of plants. Incorporating sustainably harvested and sourced botanicals, Sḵwálwen unites ancestral traditions with modern beauty rituals, empowering people to connect to themselves and the natural world. As an Indigenous woman Leigh has lived with the experiences of racism and intergenerational trauma in her family and has also witnessed the resilience, love and beauty within her family, community and culture. It is important for her to put her voice into the world in a way that inherently challenges stereotypes and anti-indigenous racism in ways that are true to her heart and voice. Creating Sḵwálwen products begins with time spent on the land — forests, estuaries, or subalpine meadows — to harvest plant foods and medicines. Using Squamish cultural teachings, Leigh approaches the natural world gently and respectfully, harvesting with techniques that are ethical and sustainable. Representation matters. Leigh recognized the lack of Indigenous voices in her discipline and in the plant-based beauty space and through Sḵwálwen’s storytelling, imagery, and connection to the land, Skwalwen Botanicals is increasing Indigenous representation, helping to shift the cultural narrative from trauma to resilience. We elevate Indigenous voices, perspectives and lives through the interconnectedness of plant science and beauty. We partner with other Indigenous businesses wherever possible and we have future plans to Indigenize our supply chain to grow botanicals for our products. Skwalwen currently work with small organic farms to grow some of the botanicals for our business. Leigh aims to continue to grow Skwálwen into a premier Indigenous skincare brand that is top of mind and is a leader in the clean beauty space. She is passionate about growing the brand in ways that are grounded in cultural ethics and sustainability. This award would be such a vote of confidence and recognition and it would help us to continue to grow and scale. We are at a critical juncture with the business as we prepare for the next stage of growth and this award would be an incredible opportunity at this time.