TORONTO, Ontario — Long before wellness became an industry, women gathered around plants.
They shared recipes and stories. They passed knowledge from mother to daughter, auntie to niece, grandmother to grandchild. Different cultures had different plants, different names, and different ways of preparing them. Yet many of those traditions were rooted in the same understanding: care often begins in ordinary rituals repeated over time.
It is this idea that inspired the launch of Aniibiish, a new Indigenous woman-owned herbal tea company founded by Ojibwe entrepreneur Neecha Klee of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek.
Named after the Anishinaabemowin word for both "tea" and "leaf", Aniibiish creates loose-leaf herbal infusions inspired by generations of plant traditions and the relationships women have long maintained with the natural world.
For Klee, the journey began with more questions than answers.
After witnessing friends and family navigate ovarian cancer, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome (now polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome), and after experiencing painful menstrual cycles herself, she became increasingly interested in the ways women have traditionally found rituals of ease during their cycle. At the same time, conversations around women's health were beginning to change. More women were speaking openly about experiences that had often been dismissed or endured quietly.
"I didn't set out to start a tea company," said Klee. "Quite the opposite. I started asking questions. I found myself wondering how women had cared for themselves before everything became an app or something we had to optimize. The more I learned, the more I realized there was all this knowledge around plants and ritual that people had been carrying for generations, and I felt like it deserved a place in the conversation."
"Aniibiish isn't really about tea," she added. "Tea is simply the invitation. What I'm interested in is helping people become more curious. Curious about themselves, curious about the traditions they come from, and curious about the knowledge women have carried for generations. I think women have always held that knowledge. Sometimes we just need to remember where we put it."
That curiosity led Klee to explore herbal traditions from many cultures while reconnecting with Anishinaabe relationships with plants. The result became Aniibiish, a company grounded in the Two-eyed Seeing philosophy that different herbal knowledge systems can coexist to create something beautiful.
Its inaugural collection brings together Indigenous plants and mother herbs traditionally prepared by women across generations.
Moontime Comfort combines red raspberry leaf, ginger, and lemon balm. Raspberry leaf has long been prepared as a women's herb, while warming ginger and fragrant lemon balm contribute balance and comfort to the blend.
Wild Nettle Renewal features nettle, spearmint, and strawberry leaf. Nourishing leafy herbs have traditionally been gathered and prepared as everyday tonics and seasonal infusions.
Woodland Berry Tonic blends sumac berry, rosehips, and chamomile, bringing together bright flavours and herbs long enjoyed in teas and botanical preparations worldwide.
Launching during National Indigenous History Month and ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day, Aniibiish joins a growing movement of Indigenous women entrepreneurs creating businesses that honour culture, community, and everyday acts of care.
Products will be available across Canada beginning June 21, 2026, at www.aniibiish.shop.
About Aniibiish
Aniibiish is an Indigenous women-owned herbal tea company based in Ontario, Canada. Founded by Ojibwe entrepreneur Neecha Klee of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, the company creates small-batch loose-leaf herbal infusions inspired by women's plant traditions, Indigenous relationships with the land, and the everyday rituals that connect people across cultures.
Media Contact
Neecha Klee
Founder, Aniibiish
hello@aniibiish.shop
www.aniibiish.shop