Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Heritage and Sisterhood

Monica Simeon & Marina TurningRobe


Who is Sister Sky
A Native American woman owned company committed to creating products which embrace the beauty of indigenous cultures for the purpose of sharing cultural wisdom.

What is Our Heritage
Our Beloved Mother:
Our mother is from the First Nations Pauquachin Band, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  Our lineage on her side hails from a long line of highly respected Tribal Chiefs and Women of Medicine, who carried the wisdom of plants, flowers and roots, used to help the ill become well.

Our Beloved Father:
Our father is from the (Spa-Keen) Spokane Tribe, Washington.  Our lineage on his side hails from a long line of highly respected Men of Medicine and Spiritual Songs.  Also from his side of our family were resourceful entrepreneurs; individuals who thought of creative ways to make-ends-meet, individuals who were able to "move-in-both-worlds" by venturing off the reservation to find employment while simultaneously staying connected to family, tradition and heritage.   

As Sisters:
During our life journey we have experienced varied seasons.   Some seasons filled with bright warm comforting sunshine - complete with birds singing beautiful songs and rainbows glowing overhead.  Some seasons filled with blistering cold and uneasy darkness - with no sounds of comfort for the ears. 

Thru our life seasons, we continue to give thanks to The Creator for our sacred gift of sisterhood!  Definition of Sister: A girl or woman who shares a common ancestry, allegiance, character, or purpose with another or others.   Yup.  That's us.   


Marina & Monica

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Sister Sky "Gives Back" with Abalone Woman Bracelets

Native American model/dancer Valarie Adrian, Spokane Tribe
This photo excites me beyond belief!  Simply because I  have come to a place in my entrepreneurial journey where I can give back to my community with a social cause product this holiday season.

Let me give you the backstory:  starting a company from scratch is no cake walk.  To say a start up company struggles financially is putting it lightly.  I've worked without pay, I've taken out a second mortgage and  I've borrowed money from my mom just to keep the lights on.  I've stayed in business long enough to know that you should care deeply about what you do because you sacrifice a lot when you're an entrepreneur. 

My sister and I have been running our company, Sister Sky for 15 years.  Whether you know our products or not, you should know "giving back" has been both a personal and professional goal of ours.

When we launched the Abalone Woman bracelets this fall, we knew the story of Abalone Woman would resonate with so many who are concerned with ending domestic violence.  The oral stories of our heritage touch our spirit, teach us values and remind us of what is important.  So powerful are these oral stories that they resonate deeply today with the community at large. 

The objective of the Abalone Woman bracelet is simple:  market a beautiful and affordable bracelet, tell the story of Abalone Woman and donate a portion of the proceeds to the non-profit National Indigenous Women's Resource Center.  The most rewarding part of this collaboration:  a Native American for-profit company is partnering with a Native American non-profit.  Small steps like this lead to great success in building healthier communities in Indian Country. 

As a small, Native American, woman owned business, we care deeply about the products we make and sell.  Our brand is deeply rooted in wellness and healing. The Abalone Woman bracelet was a natural concept born from our brand roots.  It's truly a blessing for us to be "giving back" as women and entrepreneurs.

Now back to the picture. This is gorgeous Native American dancer/model Valarie Adrian, from the Spokane Tribe wearing an Abalone Woman bracelet for the camera of Navajo photographer, Sonny Moeckel.  This picture is stunning because it reminds me that coming together for a good cause is powerful and important work. 


Please visit our website to read the story of  Abalone Woman:
www.sistersky.com
To learn about the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center please go to:
www.niwrc.org
To see more of Sonny's work, visit www.sonnymoeckel.com