RavenSong Soap

11/14/2025

Today, we celebrate Co-Owner Alissa Assu, RavenSong Soap winning the 2025 Pow Wow Pitch Indigenous Entrepreneurs Year of award.

Under new leadership, RavenSong is soaring after the foundation that Valerie has built and spanned over the last twenty years.

Alissa Assu is recognized as the EDC Export Award recipient at the 2025 Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards!

“I’m so honoured to be presented an Indigenous Entrepreneur Award by Donna. Thank you so much to Export Development Canada for honouring me and recognizing me for this award. This has been a healing journey to be in business and I wish that all to al Indigenous Entrepreneurs. Indigenous businesses, culture, storytelling, and language all deserve to be in competitive spaces just like any other business, comedian, crafter and maker! I also want to take the chance to thank my family, my kidney donor for the gift of life, I’m thankful for community and uplifting community. Thank you to the elders, aunties, and the community who continues to support!” - Alissa Assu ❤️

RavenSong Soap Co‑owner of RavenSong Soap & Candle, Alissa and her partner Cody Assu lead this award-winning cold-processed soap company rooted in Haida traditions, cultural storytelling, and sustainable practices, RavenSong honours Indigenous craftsmanship and community.

Congratulations Ali!

Read the full announcement at: https://www.powwowpitch.org/eight-indigenous-entrepreneurial-leaders-recognized-for-outstanding-achievements-and-impact-2/

Watch Ali’s awards presentation at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N81U9MZUnV8&t=3261s

Co-presented by RBC & Mastercard and in partnership with Sklar Wilton & Associates, Altis Recruitment & Export Development Canada - Exportation et développement Canada

11/05/2025

One week to go! Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) is gearing up for the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗚𝗠 & 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.

ITBC has lined up some incredible sessions that will set the stage for meaningful conversations in Indigenous tourism. Kicking things off is “Unapologetically Indigenous: Building a Business Rooted in Indigenous Values & Culture.”

Moderator: Elijah Mack (Kekuli Café Merritt & Kamloops)
Panellists: Ashley Michel (4 Generations Creations), Alissa Assu (West Coast Wildflowers), and James Cowpar (Haida Style Expeditions)

📍 Vancouver | 🗓️ November 12–14, 2025

✨ Support and follow these Indigenous-owned businesses — , , , and — whose work reflects the strength, creativity, and culture of our communities. Choose to uplift, purchase from, and amplify authentic Indigenous voices in every space.

10/24/2025

Often asked, the answer remains the same.

Empowering Indigenous Communities Knit, initiated by the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (VNFC) in October 2023, is led by Ron Rice – Wush’q MGC, the Executive Director of VNFC. A member of Cowichan Tribes, he has dedicated over 25 years to Indigenous community leadership, innovation, and volunteering.

Want to learn more ⬇️

Cowichan sweaters are traditionally hand-knit using intricate techniques passed down through generations. Look for evidence of handcrafted details, such as irregular stitches or slight variations, as a sign of authenticity.

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Victoria Native Friendship Centre
VNFC, an Indigenous-led charitable non-profit in Southern Vancouver Island, BC, operates on Lək̓ ʷəŋən People’s territory, known as the Songhees & Xwsepsum today. With 140+ dedicated staff, VNFC offers 75+ programs to strengthen the well-being of urban Indigenous individuals, families, and communities, providing a sense of wellness and belonging.
For over 52 years, the VNFC has been a vital Indigenous not-for-profit resource, offering numerous programs, including full daycare, early childhood development, family violence prevention, law and health services, mental health and addiction support, education and entrepreneurial programs, youth services, food security, housing, housing support, Elder programs, Indigenous library, food and medicine garden, a community kitchen, and cultural and arts events.

Shop and learn more at: https://knitwithpurpose.com/authenticity/
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10/23/2025

Raven Song | The Infinite Coast ✨

Our family found magic on the Pacific edge of The Infinite Coast — staying at , a stunning First Nations-owned retreat in Tofino. Here, where ocean, rainforest, and mountains meet, we were reminded of the deep relationship between land and sea — and how Indigenous cultures continue to shape this coast through stewardship, story, and connection.

Tin Wis, meaning “calm beach” in the Tla-o-qui-aht language, sits within the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks, part of a living network of places cared for by generations who have always called this place home. The resort, along with the Tsawaak RV Resort & Campground, is owned and operated by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation — an inspiring example of community-driven hospitality that honours both tradition and the environment.

We spent our days walking misty beaches, listening to the crashing of the waves, and feeling the pulse of the coastal community that thrives here — one shaped by respect, balance, and belonging.

📍 Learn more and plan your stay located in : https://tourismtofino.com/business/best-western-tin-wis-resort/

🗺️ 1119 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0
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10/22/2025

✨ Wanting it all — the stillness, the calmness, the grounding. ✨

Planting our feet in the earth, feeling the warmth of the sun soak into our skin, and listening to the soft hush of leaves falling from the trees. 🍂

And yet — we’re also cheering loud for the Toronto Blue Jays to take the World Series. ⚾💙

Because life can hold both: the quiet and the thrill, the slow breath and the wild hope. We can’t predict tomorrow, but today we can be here — fully — sitting in stillness, soaking it all in. 🌞🌿

10/22/2025

✨ Wanting it all — the stillness, the calmness, the grounding. ✨

Planting our feet in the earth, feeling the warmth of the sun soak into our skin, and listening to the soft hush of leaves falling from the trees. 🍂

And yet — we’re also cheering loud for the Toronto Blue Jays to take the World Series. ⚾💙

Because life can hold both: the quiet and the thrill, the slow breath and the wild hope. We can’t predict tomorrow, but today we can be here — fully — sitting in stillness, soaking it all in. 🌞🌿

10/22/2025

Grounding After the Bath – A Moment to Just Be

After you step out of the bath, don’t rush.
Let the warmth linger on your skin, let your breath slow, and keep your energy grounded. This is your time to reconnect — to feel calm, centred, and deeply rooted in the moment. No tonight. Not tomorrow. Not next week or month.

Stay inside. Light a candle. Roast some vegetables, toss in that perfect oven-baked garlic, and let the scent fill your kitchen. Maybe you’ll add it all to a comforting soup — something simple, nourishing, and made with care. Slow. Dow . Reflect on the day instead of rushing toward the next task, the next plan, or the next sunrise. Just be — here, now.

Along the Infinite Coast, where we belong — where land asks us to collectively, pause and listen. To the tides. To the wind. To ourselves.

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Featured
Basket of Berries Bath Bomb

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🪶 Model .xxueller13
Owners .assu and

10/20/2025

🌿 Gratitude Post 🌿

I want to take a moment to share my deep gratitude to for choosing to feature my small business story.

Being recognized in this way isn’t just about entrepreneurship: it’s about reclamation. Reclaiming space. Reclaiming story. Reclaiming the connection between land, community, and the work we do with our hands and hearts.

For me, business has always been about more than products, it’s been a process of healing and storytelling. Every bar of soap, every workshop, every conversation carries pieces of my own journey — from a youth in the foster care system who dared to dream, to a woman who built something that reflects both culture and courage.

I often think about how powerful it would be if every young person in care knew they could dream so big that they’d even surprise themselves. That they could create something from their own story — something beautiful, sustainable, and meaningful.

And being a small business owner means constantly being curious — not just about growth or opportunity, but about our own feelings and patterns in leadership. It’s about learning to lead with empathy, to balance strength with softness, and to understand that leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers — it means being willing to grow through the questions.

So here’s to the process — to reclamation, to gratitude, and to dreaming beyond what you once thought possible. 🌙

10/15/2025

Head down to Stonehouse Teas in Campbell River. You can’t find this soap anywhere else ❤️!