Lesley Assu

Standing Spruce

I am Lesley Assu, of the Haida nation; local Haida witch, herbalist and mother that trusts in old world medicine, the plants and spirits of the trees. I am also owner & operator of Standing Spruce Farm & Apothecary.

Traditionally raised in both Haida Gwaii and in my father's community of the We Wai Kai, I developed deep roots to the land and sea. My passion of traditional medicine expands outside of the business; it’s my entirety, and is a practice shared with my family and communities. I am a mother to two children; Daala (the rain) and SGaalan (The yellow cedar), I am also an adoring aunt to two nephews: Aliwas and Ember. As I share Standing Spruce with you, I am raising my children and nephews with traditional knowledge and the practice of harvesting medicine. In my life these teachings were learned from my elders; to ensure, we as Matriarchs are passing down this knowledge for future generations, I develop my products with sustainability and all of our future in mind.

The dream of Standing Spruce began with 4 chickens on a small piece of land. with hard work and determination the growth of Standing Spruce now includes retail on an e-commerce platform, and a small retail store situated on our farm, where you can find farmed goods, Daala's farm stand, and stocked shelves with all of our creations.