“FUTURE GENERATIONS OF GIRLS AND WOMXN”

We’re going from “how’re you holding up” to “who are you holding up”. 

Welcome to the Changemaker’s Market, a digital community of movers and makers who have generously donated their goods and services to benefit the BC Women’s Health Foundation.

Each and every item or service has been generously donated by a BC business owned by self-identified women. You can bid on items or buy them outright, with all proceeds benefiting the BC Women’s Health Foundation and our mission of healthy women everywhere, capable of anything.

We asked our Changemakers a few questions, including Leigh Joseph of Sḵwálwen Botanicals.

As an ethnobotanist, researcher and community activist, Leigh Joseph’s aim is to contribute to cultural knowledge renewal in connection to Indigenous plant foods and medicines. Honouring traditional Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) plant knowledge, Sḵwálwen Botanicals (@skwalwenbotanicals) incorporates wild harvested plants and organic, high quality ingredients. 

Wherever possible Leigh draws on teachings learned from family and community members that are connected to Indigenous plants and the land.

What’s your Quarantine anthem? 

Lately, All Mirrors by Angel Olsen

One word to describe you/your brand’s legacy. 

Inspire

Sourdough starter, yay or nay? 

Yay! I lived in the Yukon for a few years and some people still have gold rush era sourdough starters!

Why did you choose to donate to the Changemaker’s Market? 

A major focus of my business and doctoral research is contributing to health and wellness in culturally relevant ways. I am particularly interested in contributing to health equity with Indigenous communities. 

Why does women’s health matter to you? 

Women are the backbone for their families and communities and they often carry so much of the responsibility and weight of caring for others. It is so important for women to have access to quality health care. 

What inspires you most about giving back to your community? 

I am most inspired by contributing to future generations of girls and womxn who may be inspired by the work that I do. I am inspired by creating Indigenous representation in the entrepreneurial and academic research spaces and by helping to renew our ancestral relationships with plants in the name of identity, health and healing. 

What’s your unique mission with your products/services?  

I wish to merge Indigenous plant knowledge with luxury skin and self-care products that showcase the incredible connections to the land and the deep running relationships with plants from this region and create opportunities to contribute to the resurgence of plant knowledge within Indigenous communities. 

What’s the first thing you’ll do post-social distancing/isolation? 

Work on my laptop at a café and go to a workout class!

If you’re an artist: Who is a woman artist you admire?

Marianne Nicholson 

Bid, buy, connect, create change. Every purchase made at the Changemakers Market is a declaration of your dedication to women’s health and equity in the healthcare system. Go you.

Whether you bid on the Changemakers Market from May 30 – June 6, or donate directly — you’re championing change for all women across BC.

Interested in learning more about our Changemakers? Read more stories or follow along on Instagram @bcwomens.

BC Women’s Health Foundation is BC’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the full spectrum of women’s health. The information shared is intended to educate, inform, and point readers to credible sources. It is not intended to substitute professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of qualified healthcare professionals with any questions specific to your medical condition. For more information, visit HealthLinkBC.ca.