Meet the Faces Behind Our Indigenous Brands

Taelore | Auratae

Taelore, the founder of AuraTae Lifestyle has always had a passion for her Indigenous roots and alongside her husband has worked hard to educate and continue traditions with their children.

Her grandfather who is 90 years young descends from the Ojibwe tribe and her mother is an elder working with at-risk youth.

When Tae started making candles and natural home products it was very important to her that every order was sent off with positive energy. Smudging, a sacred medicine practice has been a ritual in their manufacturing space, clearing negative energy, bringing clarity and peace to the mind. In 2019 Tae added sage & cedar smudge sticks to her website with a goal to educate on the practice and raise funds. Since then, 100% of the profits from each smudge stick and thousands of dollars in supplies have been donated to at risk Indigenous women & youth. 

Auratae believes that they are so much more than just the products they sell. Kindness and a conscious focus on equality and giving back is at the forefront of their work. They pride themselves on seeking out local ingredients, such as their lavender water from a woman owned farm in Yarrow, BC to their recycled packaging made by a family run business in Richmond, BC. Because, without community and small shop love, there is no AuraTae. 

Jordan | Sriracha Revolver

​Jordan Hocking founded Sriracha Revolver Hot Sauce Inc in 2017 with the goal of creating a staple product that adds fun, flavour and inspiration to the chef at home. Jordan is a mom, wife and Indigenous entrepreneur. Jordan is passionate about building a community around food and experiencing culture through food. All her hot sauce recipes have been inspired by flavours or ingredients she has enjoyed while traveling or by wanting to eat something that didn't exist anywhere else. Along with a small, dedicated team, Jordan makes craft size batches of hot sauce that are a treat to enjoy with all your favourite foods.

We would like to applaud Jordan for being a voice and advocate, standing in solidarity against Indigenous violence by reaching out to her local MLA regarding the issues climate activists are facing in Fairy Creek. Click here to view Jordan's letter.

Sarah | Hudson and Oak

Sarah, Hudson and Oak's founder, is of plains Cree descent from the Amiskwacīwiyiniwak region (Saddle Lake, Alberta). Their studio operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō) peoples. Hudson and Oak strives to leave the land that they live on in better condition than how they found it. 

Hudson and Oak's social responsibility is to focus on supporting and giving back annually to organizations that bring social and environmental justice to indigenous traditional territories through legal defense.

Here are a few fun facts about Sarah - evenings when she is away from the studio you can often find her scrolling through pinterest to see what she can reno at her  home next, in her backyard growing her garden roses, drinking cosmos and zennias, taking her two dogs Kevin (the corgi) and Kingston (the pug) out on a nice walk or planning her next trip to somewhere new (she rarely visits the same place twice with exception of Tofino becuse it's simply breath taking).

Paige | Land of Daughters

Metis + female founded, Land of Daughters has been around since July 2018 with a focus on creating unique scents for our candles, aroma sprays and solid perfumes. They love all things cozy and seasonal, and they're homebodies to the core. 

Land of Daughters donates 50% of the proceeds from each of their Indigenous candles - Safe Space, Home Land and Ebb & Flow to 3 different Indigenous charities. So far they have donated almost $10,000 through this initiative to Native Women's Association of Canada, Legacy of Hope, and Water First. 

Leigh | Skwalwen Botanicals 

Leigh's ancestral name is Styawat and she is from the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) First Nation. As an ethnobotanist, researcher and community activist, her aim is to contribute to cultural knowledge renewal in connection to Indigenous plant foods and medicines. Wherever possible she draws on teachings learned from family and community members that are connected to Indigenous plants and the land.

Honouring traditional Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) plant knowledge, Skwalwen incorporates sustainably harvested and sourced plants, and organic high quality ingredients. Each product has a Squamish name to honour the place where this plant knowledge comes from.

Leigh loves walking out the door with her basket in hand and heading into the forest or estuary or subalpine meadows to harvest plant food and medicines. Skwxwú7mesh culture considers plants to be relatives, thus they are to be respected. This is why Leigh takes a moment to breathe and connect with herself, bringing her mind and heart to a place of peace and presence. Then she says a thank you to the plants and trees she will be harvesting from.

As a botanist, Leigh is passionate about plant identification. She observes plants throughout their growing season, looking for the cues and signs that a particular plant is ready to be harvested. This kind of awareness of one's surroundings leads to a connection to place and a knowledge that can only be developed over time.

When Leigh harvests plants she follows cultural teachings that ensure a sustainable relationship based on reciprocity. There are many ways to ensure plants regenerate if you understand their individual structures and lifecycles. Leigh takes care to not harvest too much of any one plant so as to ensure the plant will come back for years to come and can be used by other lifeforms that rely on it.