The Land Knows Me: A Nature Walk Exploring Indigenous Wisdom

Through the Squamish language and cultural traditions, learn about Indigenous plant relationships and how we are all connected to nature through plant-based foods, medicines, and materials. 

The best way to learn about plants is through observing and interacting with living examples. Join Held by the Land author Leigh Joseph and her children in The Land Knows Me, an educational, hands-on journey to discover all the wonderful uses and gifts of the plants around us. Through the Indigenous traditions of Squamish culture you’ll learn how to ground yourself on the land, how to introduce yourself in the Squamish language to your plant relatives, and the many teachings about plants, cultural stories, and learnings related to the flora seen on your walk.

This essential and colorful introduction to Indigenous plant knowledge includes informative sidebars, reflection questions, and plant names in both Squamish and English so children can learn a new language. 

The Land Knows Me concludes with a 15 plant profile directory featuring detailed plant illustrations and kid-friendly botanical drawings to aid in learning about the many great uses for plants and the native history behind them. You’ll meet plants like:

• Ḵwiĺayus (kw-ill-eye-os), Red-Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum
• Ḵ’emeláý (k-em-ill-eye), Bigleaf Maple, Acer macrophyllum
• Séliýaý (s-elle-ee-eye), Oregon Grape, Mahonia nervosa
• Xápaýay (hey-pie-eye), Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata
• Ḵwe7úpaý (kw-oh-pa-eye), Pacific Crabapple, Malus fusca
• And more!

The directory also includes important safety and proper harvesting information for parents who are looking for more opportunities to educate and engage with kids while getting to know the secrets of the land around us. Including mindfulness activities, how-to crafts, and yummy treats, The Land Knows Me calls you back again and again to learn something new with each engaging read!

Follow the stream, cross the field, and step into a forest full of rich, botanical diversity rooted in history and tradition.

Dr. Leigh Joseph is an ethnobotanist, author, and member of the Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh). Her work explores relationships between people, plants, and place through Indigenous knowledge, cultural renewal, and ecological stewardship. Leigh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Simon Fraser University, where her research and teaching focus on Indigenous plant knowledge, ethnobotany, and land-based learning. She is also the founder of Sḵwálwen Botanicals, an Indigenous-owned skincare company rooted in Squamish plant knowledge and relationships to the land. Leigh is the author of Held by the Land, which was a 2023 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Honorable Mention, and 2026 Yellow Cedar Award nominee The Land Knows Me, a children’s book that invites young readers to build curiosity, connection, and belonging with the natural world. Across her work, Leigh encourages reciprocal relationships with plants and the places we call home.

Natalie Schnitter is an illustrator and artist living on the unceded traditional territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation. Having graduated with a major in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2016, Natalie now enjoys using digital, oil paint, acrylic, watercolor, pencil crayon, and ink professionally. A lover of storytelling, Natalie’s work has been featured in films and tv shows—like Goosebumps, Fresh, The Imperfects, and more—across North America. Growing up on Vancouver Island, nature has always been a huge part of Natalie’s life and the inspiration behind her work. In her free time, Natalie enjoys painting, rock climbing, and spending time with her friends, family, and two cats.