Mélanie Paul

Company: Akua Nature

Sector of activity: Natural cosmetic and health products

Head office: Mashteuiatsh, Québec

Number of employees: 10

Her commitment

Aligned with UN sustainable development goal 3 (good health and well-being)

I commit to promoting the health, well-being, and culture of First Nations people among youth by introducing a line of environmentally responsible products that will be used for sports and other fundraising campaigns.

“Respect for Mother Earth, sharing and spirituality are primordial values for the first Nations and for my company. In this spirit, I want to build bridges between people to pass along the knowledge of my ancestors and give back to my community.”

– Mélanie Paul, Co-president and Founder, Akua Nature

An Indigenous entrepreneur honours her roots with a line of holistic products

Breaking the cycle of poverty

The desire to support her community of Mashteuiatsh, in the Lac-Saint-Jean region, influenced Mélanie Paul’s career choice. Aware of the challenges affecting First Nations people, she turned first to social work, but, since she grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, she decided to study management with the goal of going into business. She founded Inukshuk Synergie, which offers renewable energy solutions to meet the needs of isolated communities, and continued on her entrepreneurial path by creating Akua Nature with her cousin Suzie Paul. Her goal? To create quality jobs that help break the cycle of poverty, particularly among women and young people, and to restore their hope and pride while promoting First Nations culture. Her dream? To change perceptions and get past prejudices to prove that Indigenous women can succeed in business.

Building bridges to go further

Believing in strength in numbers, Mélanie Paul wanted to build bridges between the First Nations and the rest of Québec to give Akua Nature wings. So, she partnered with Groupe SiliCycle, a non-Indigenous Québec company that is a leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing products for the health, wellness, and environment industries. Its equipment and leading-edge technology allowed Akua Nature to collect and extract natural plant, forest, and agriculturally sourced molecules from the boreal biomass – berries, medicinal plants, mushrooms, bark, pine needs – which are essential in developing its products. It is a joint venture that, for both companies, contributes to a reconciliation between peoples.

Drawing inspiration from First Nations knowledge

All Akua Nature products – the health and wellness benefits of which have been confirmed scientifically – are 100% natural. The line, which is available on the company’s transactional website and at several points of sale in Québec, including Simons, includes teas, calming herbal tea, and energizing infusions, as well as anti-inflammatory essential oils, skincare products, and scented candles. The plants used to create products are chosen for their benefits, long familiar to First Nations peoples. Out of a commitment to authenticity, they are gathered from ancestral lands in the Nitassinan territory by pickers from the community who ensure the resources are used sustainably.

Responsible development

To reduce its environmental footprint, Akua Nature works with local forestry and agricultural businesses that collect the residue of cuts and harvests. Environmentally friendly packaging is made from recycled, reusable materials. From the outset, Mélanie Paul chose to integrate socially responsible practices to every aspect of her business model, which considers both human and environmental impacts.