By the end of this year, the Co-Founders of Cape Breton-based Maskwiomin hope to have a staff of up to 20 people producing traditional Mi'kmaq skincare products, and doing so in accordance with Indigenous business practices.
The company is commercializing an indigenous process for extracting compounds from birchbark and using them in soap, shampoo, cream and lotions. As its Co-Founders Dr. Matthias Bierenstiel and Tuma T.M. Young prepare for commercial production of these products, they’re also in talks with Membertou First Nation to ensure the community benefits from the company’s