My identity as a herbalist is rooted deep in the land and my Indigenous Secwepemc culture. My foundational knowledge of plants is passed down through my mother and great-grandmother, a lineage that connects me to the earth and to the generations of Indigenous Secwepemc women who came before me. This heritage is the soul of everything we do at Up the Hill Inc.at Loakin. Every mist, every cream, and every tea formulation is based on that history. As a Certified Herbalist, I have learned that blending my Indigenous healing practices and modern herbal clinical practices truly increases the value of the work we do.
The world of herbalism today is vastly different from the world of my great-grandmother. We now have access to biochemistry, analytical testing, and safety protocols that we would be remiss to ignore. This is where my professional practice as a formulator comes into play. When I formulate, I am not just listening to the plants; I am actively ensuring that every extraction process, every concentration, and every ingredient blend meets the highest safety and efficacy benchmarks.
Integrating these two worlds—the ancestral and the clinical—is the core mission of my work here in Neskonlith First Nations community, in British Columbia. It is a delicate balance of working in a clinical setting and being purely traditional. We want to keep the “heart” and story that makes our work meaningful.
All of our formulations are created with purpose. Every tea, mist, cream, salve and gift kit/pack has a wellness purpose behind it. We are interested in the well-being of our customers and our community. Our offerings demonstrate that. We use our herbal healing knowledge of the herbs and our ancestral teachings to guide our clients on a holistic path to achieve their wellness. When you see our collections, our purpose will be evident.
We aren't just selling products that happen to be botanical; we are providing tools. Whether it is a product designed for topical wellness or environmental clearing, the intention is to respect the plant's history while utilizing modern chemistry to maximize its benefit. By upholding these clinical standards, I am ensuring that the wisdom of my ancestors is not lost to time or diluted by trend-driven wellness. Instead, it is preserved, refined, and applied with the respect it truly deserves. I am committed to a future where botanical medicine is respected not only for its soul but for its documented impact on human wellness. This is the promise of Up the Hill Inc.: the wisdom of the past, confirmed by the science of the present, delivered for the health of the future.
We care about you and your health.
June
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