About Sister Sky Brand

About Our Brand

Native American products are moving into mainstream retail due to consumer demand. Sister Sky is a 100% Native American owned company; we develop, design and commercially produce Native inspired products.

Sister Sky is not an artisan brand; our products are not hand made.  Native American artisans, making one-of-a-kind pieces, occupy that industry.  Sister Sky highly respects traditional artists; although we do not compete in that industry.  

Sister Sky is a Native American company moving past the "cottage industry" model to the "commercial industry" model in an effort to:

• Respectfully represent Native American culture, in the commercial industry.  
• Fill a gap in the commercial marketplace by providing Native inspired products supplied by Native American business owners.  
• Provide retailers an affordable and reliable supply of culturally-respectful Native         inspired products. 
• Create employment and model small business ownership in our tribal communitues. 

Sister Sky started as a hobby based business in 1999.  We have grown since and our branded product categories include natural bath and body care products, hotel amenities and fashion accessories.  Visit us at www.sistersky.com 

We value and appreciate your friendship and support!

Marina & Monica

Sister Sky

Violence Against Women - The Abalone Woman

Abalone Woman

A Native American Legend: Abalone Woman 

Abalone Woman lived on the ocean coast. She passed time sitting on the beach, shinning her most beautiful stunning colors in the sky. Several elders told Abalone Woman, "Your beautiful colors are a special gift, which must be handled with honor and loving care."  

A man from the North saw Abalone Woman's beautiful colors in the sky and said "I must find her, the woman who makes beautiful colors in the sky".  North Man set out on his journey, he traveled great distances to find the woman who made beautiful colors in the sky. 

North Man finally found her!  There she sat, on the beach, shining her beautiful colors in the sky!  North Man approached her, they met and fell in love. In the beginning, North Man was very kind to Abalone Woman, treating her with honor and loving care.  

North Man's kindness reminded her of the words spoken by her elders, "Your beautiful colors are a special gift, which must be handled with honor and loving care", so this encouraged Abalone Woman to continue shining her beautiful colors in the sky, for North Man to see and enjoy.  

As time passed, North Man began to treat Abalone Woman with disrespect.  He became very mad and cruel towards her.  Trying to make North Man happy, Abalone Woman would shine her colors brighter, brighter and brighter but her efforts did not change matters with North Man.  

Then one day on the same beach where their love began, North Man hurt Abalone Woman so very deeply.  North Man hurt Abalone Woman in a way which, no human hands, could ever heal.  North Man's hurt was forever.

In Abalone Woman's deep hurt, she looked up to the blue sky and began to cry-out in terrible pain. Like a stream leading into the ocean, Abalone Woman's tears fell down her face.  

As her tears of hurt and pain touched the water, the water began to shine the beautiful colors of Abalone Woman.  You see, her tears turned into beautiful abalone shells!  As Abalone Woman faded into hurt and pain she, too, transformed into the abalone shells. 

Abalone Woman became our beautiful shining abalone shell.  The shell is a reminder that women have a special shining gift.  Women must care for and respect their shining gifts and men must also respect women's gift of shining.  Most importantly, for love to not be in vain, men and women must handle each other with honor and loving care.   

*This legend, or similar version, is told by various coastal indigenous peoples.  We share this legend in an effort to end violence against women and in homes across the world.  

Sunburn and Heritage

Ancestral Heritage & Sunburn

Kevin's Cure Collection contains the natural solution: Yarrow, for sunburn damage to skin. 

Factors that can affect sunburn include genetic heritage, location and drugs. Your ancestral heritage determines a lot about how quickly you may burn when exposed to the sun. Those who are especially fair skinned fare more poorly when exposed to the sun than those who are olive skinned or black. This has to do with the amount of the natural pigment melanin in skin. Melanin is photoprotectant, enabling the body to absorb sun rays as simple heat without DNA damage. The more melanin in the skin, the lesser chance a person has to burn. When we tan, that is due to increased melanin production as a result of sun exposure. In very fair skinned people, there is insufficient melanin for tanning.

Your geographic location is another significant factor with sunburns. Those who live in the tropical latitudes are exposed to more direct sunlight, and must therefore be more careful than those who live in the higher latitudes where the rays of the sun are less direct. 

Drugs also play a role in whether you will burn. Antibiotics, oral contraceptives and anti-anxiety drugs can increase the risk of burns. If you are taking any of these classes of drugs, carefully read the contraindications sections of the data sheets, so you will know whether you are at increased risk of burning.

If you overdo your exposure to the sun and wind up with a mild burn, the following natural remedy can provide soothing relief. However, if you wind up with a serious burn, you will be wise to contact your doctor.

Yarrow

Native Americans used an infusion of the common herb yarrow as a wash for sunburn and other skin disorders. Yarrow relieves the pain of burns and soothes inflamed skin. You can buy dried yarrow in many natural food stores. If you have a sunburn, make a big pot of yarrow tea and add it to a warm or cool bath. The infusion will provide relief.

Kevin's Cure Body Lotion 

Contains Yarrow and other beautiful natural skin care solutions for healthy summer skin.  The Kevin's Cure Collection:  body wash, body balm, body lotion and healing salve.  Visit us at www.sistersky.com to purchase your Natural Solutions from Native Roots.  

Enjoy Your Summer!  

The Sisters

Credit information:  Foxnews.com, July 2012

A Long Time Ago - Sister Sky

Long Ago: 

Before medical technology was available, pioneer doctors relied on Native American knowledge of nature to treat illness.  Our ancestors freely shared their healing knowledge of plants, roots and berries with early settlers.  In fact, Native American herbal treatments were so effective, many have been refined into present day medicine.

Today:

Sister Sky creates body and hair care products with natural herbs and oils that were used over 400 years ago by our ancestors. Trusted, time proven ingredients and Mother Nature approved. The Native American Herbal Legacy lives in each Sister Sky product we make today.

We invite you to visit us at www.sistersky.com and you can also experience the Native American Herbal Legacy.

Enjoy!  The Sister.

For Real Sisters?

ARE THEY REALLY SISTERS?

Yes.  We really are (for 100% sure) true sisters.  We grew-up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, attended elementary and high school at a near by school district - a few miles off the reservation.  Upon graduation (not the same year of course) we each attended University.  Completed college degrees and returned back to our Spokane Tribal historical grounds - which is the City of Spokane, Washington.

Our Beloved Mother:

Our mother comes from the First Nations Pauquachin Band, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  From which 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, which they used to aid in helping the ill become well.  Although we did not grow-up on our mother's First Nations Reserve, each summer we would cross-the-big-water to spend time with our most beloved family from Pauquachin.  Our mother moved back to her home (literally the home she grew up in) to aide her aging mother.  Our mother still resides at Pauquachin.   

Our Beloved Father:

Our father comes from the (Spa-Keen) Spokane Tribe, Washington, State.  From which 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 comes resourceful entrepreneurs; individuals who thought of creative ways to make-ends-meet and individuals who were able to "move-in-both-worlds" by leaving the reservation to acquire paying jobs while simultaneously staying very much connected and proud of lineage, tradition and heritage.  The land which our father lives (which we grew up) is land his mother (and her four sisters) timber cleared with two-man saws. 

As Sisters:
We consider ourselves BLESSED to have each other during our journeys in life.  We pray daily the Creator help us be the best people we can be, with the intention of being giving, humble, positive people who are capable of "being a blessing to others". 

During our life journey (together ) we have experienced many varied seasons.   Some seasons filled with bright warm comforting sunshine - complete with birds singing beautiful songs and rainbows glowing over head, some of our seasons have been filled with blistering cold and uneasy darkness with no sounds of comfort for the ears, only the deafening silence of uncertainty. 

Thru our life seasons, we continue to CHOOSE and HONOR the Creators sacred gift of sisterhood, we choose to "stick-together", my silly sis always likes to call us "Thelma & Louise", which every time she says it, I laugh really big!  Definition of Sister: A girl or woman who shares a common ancestry, allegiance, character, or purpose with another or others.   Yup.  That's us.   
 

WHO IS SISTER SKY? 

A Native American owned company commited to creating products which embrace the beauty of indigeonous cultures for the purpose of sharing herbal wisdom. 

 

www.sistersky.com

 

 

Embrace Sisterhood Today!  ~ Marina

Summer Co-Washing. Give It a Try, You Only Have Moisture to Gain

Summer Co-Washing

Co-wash simply means to cleanse the hair and scalp by using a rinse-out conditioner instead of a traditional shampoo.  

I know what you are thinking, "Ewww!  You don't use shampoo?!"   Well, it's not as weird as it sounds.  Co-washing can become a girl's best friend, especially during summer fun activities which can steal moisture from your lovely locks.  Read on to find out how and why to try ‘summertime’ co-washing.

Why Co-Wash Hair

Your body needs moisture during hot summer months, so do your beautiful locks.  Traditional shampoos contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), the ingredient used to make all those scrubbing bubbles, when used excessively SLS can strip hair of natural oils required for moisture.  Excessive harsh shampoo usage can also leave hair feeling dry, brittle, promote breakage and create a frizzy halo – ugh!

Silicone Free Co-Washing

 

Why silicone free?  Silicones are the secret weapon in most hair smoothing products (often disguised as the scientific ingredient name: dimethicone).  Like a raincoat for your hair, silicone coats each strand to seal out humidity.  Slippery and silky from the silicone polish, hair is less tangled and looks shinier and healthier—at first.  The problem is the coating: "Too much silicone prevents oils and moisture from penetrating into the hair," explains celebrity stylist Leonard Manetti, owner of the ION Studio salon, New York City. "Eventually, hair will be drier and look more damaged," he adds.

 

How to Co-Wash

 

Co-washing is all about scalp and follicle massage to help break up and loosen the dirt and oils on your head so they will easily rinse away. Take a small amount of conditioner and massage it into a small area of your scalp, follow this process for your entire head.  Make sure to work some conditioner into your hair down to its ends (this would be a good time to detangle with a wide tooth comb), once you have done all of that, rinse out your hair. Once you have rinsed out your hair completely, work a small amount of conditioner into your hair in its length and at the ends and then squeeze the excess conditioner out.  Adding a bit of conditioner in final process will assist in detangling and frizz control.  Preferably towel or air-dry your hair, and there you go!  Co-washed hair.

Try Sister Sky silicone-free gentle conditioners for your summer co-washing hair care.  Visit us at www.sistersky.com

Go forth, co-wash and enjoy summer! 

Monitor Hair Moisture

Wheat Protein

Water soluble protein derived from whole wheat, it penetrates the cortex of each hair strand. Wheat protein strengthens and moisturizes hair, increasing the ability for hair to receive and maintain moisture.

Hair Composition

Natural hair is made up of tough fibrous proteins called keratin.  Hair is composed of approximately 91% protein, which is made up of long chain amino acids. The amino acids are made up of: sulfur, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon; these building blocks are then joined together by peptide bonds. It is very important for hair to have a healthy combination of protein and moisture. 

Hair Care with Wheat Protein

Wheat Protein greatly increases the hair’s ability to retain moisture, while increasing the appearance of shine and gloss.  Due to its low molecular weight, it easily penetrates the hair shaft adding protein, reduces porosity, and improves hair manageability, while creating luster and smoothness.   

Summer Hair Care

By using Sister Sky Indian Hyacinth Shampoo, with WHEAT PROTEIN, you will be adding protein to your hair while reducing porosity, improving manageability and creating luster and smoothness.   Order a bottle today.  

Enjoy Summer !   The Sisters ~

Hair Car Tip:  DO NOT shampoo hair every day (unless your hair is extremely oily), rest hair a day or two between shampoo washes.  Lathering up daily strips hair of important, healthy oils causing hair to break-off over time.  Between shampoo washes rinse hair with warm water, apply a conditioner to hair, leave in a few minutes, comb hair beginning at bottom working upwards with a wide-tooth comb, then rinse out.  Try-it!