Leigh Joseph

Styawat is a member of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) First Nation and an ethnobotanist by training. They have worked with their home community of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, as well as other Indigenous communities, on research, teaching, ecological restoration, and planting projects connected to Indigenous plant knowledge.

Styawat holds a Master of Science in Ethnobotany from the University of Victoria, completed under the guidance of Dr. Nancy Turner and Dr. Trevor Lantz. In March 2024, they completed a PhD focused on ethnobotany and Indigenous land-based and community-based research, under the guidance of Dr. Darcy Mathews (University of Victoria) and Dr. Alain Cuerrier (Université de Montréal). All of their academic training has been guided by their community.