Roots are important things to sisters Monica Simeon and Marina TurningRobe, both cultural roots and the ones that you dig from the ground. It took both kinds to create their young Spokane business, Sister Sky.


The tiny enterprise offers an original line of all-natural aromatherapy products, such as body lotions, candles, and teas, in colors and scents its two founders say represent the natural energies of the moon, sun, wind, and rain.


As members of the Spokane Indian Tribe, Simeon and TurningRobe say such energies always have been part of their culture and beliefs. In their Native American home, the sisters grew up listening to their grandmother and her four sisters talk about the herbal remedies the family and the tribe had passed downand were given those remedies when they were sick.


She had an herb and a tea for everything, Simeon says of her grandmother.


Simeon and TurningRobe dont sell cures and medicines, but their products are supposed to make you feel good. The business focuses on four types of items: body lotions, bath gels, fragrance mist, and candlesin four aromatherapy scentsand also makes teas and foot moisturizers. The concerns best selling product is body lotion, and its Moon scent, which is for relaxation, is the most popular of its four scents, Simeon says.


Sister Skys Web site, at www.sistersky.com, describes Moon scent this way: When Moon fills the night sky with her flowing presence, she creates a serene and calming energy. The brightly colored Web site continues, Capture the essence of relaxing moonlight with Sister Skys Moon. A peaceful blend of orange and ylang ylang essential oils, Moon relaxes the body and calms the mind.


Of Sister Skys rain scent, the Web site says, When Rain softly sprinkles water from her hands, she creates a clean and refreshing energy. It says Sister Skys Rain Refreshing Body Lotion is a pleasant blend of lime and tangerine essential oils.


The Sun scent is described this way: When Sun opens her arms and warmly embraces the sky, she creates a bright and invigorating energy. The site says Sun Invigorating Body Lotion is a bright blend of grapefruit and tangerine essential oils.


Then there are bath oils, a foot lotion, gift packs, and a foot polishing scrub made from the finest pumice and enriched with mint oils to help keep cool and refresh tired feet.


Response from the public has been positive, and many customers have contacted the fledgling enterprise to find out how to get more of a product, the sisters say.


In each of the ventures first two years, sales totaled less than $20,000, and the young business has yet to make a profit, Simeon says. Based on recent interest from retailers, however, she expects sales to at least double this year, and hopes the higher sales will put the business in the black.


Last year, Sister Sky contracted with Tate Technologies Inc., a Spokane contract manufacturer that operates a filling room, to take over all of its production. Sister Skys last order from Tate Technologies was for 3,600 items, made in anticipation of the holiday rush.


The transition from hand-making their products in their homes to having them produced by others was a big leap for Sister Sky. It was kind of scary, TurningRobe says.


It required making changes to the products, such as adding emulsifiers that prolong shelf life, but the sisters say they worked closely with Tate Technologies to maintain the integrity of the product line.


With that increased production capacity, Sister Sky began seeking retailers to sell its products. Its full aromatherapy line soon will be offered at The Gilted Lily Floral & Gifts, at 2218 N. Monroe. Toi Mulligan, owner and manager of The Gilted Lily, says the Sister Sky line is a nice complement to her floral business because customers often want something to go along with a bouquet.


It is also very fragrant and very useful, especially for women, she says. Sister Skys candles now are sold at Made in Washington stores.


An idea blooms


As young adults, the sisters began working for their father, Ronald Buzz Gutierrez, who owns and operates the Double-Eagle Casino, in Chewelah. The casino had been his dream and passion, but it wasnt where his daughters wanted to spend their careers, so Guiterrez told them to find something they were passionate about, and he would help them turn it into a business.


Simeon and TurningRobe liked the idea of starting a Native American-run business that didnt involve something controversial, such as gambling, cigarettes, or fireworks. They saw a growing market for aromatherapy products.


More than three years ago, Simeon and TurningRobe formulated and started production of their products in their homes and became what they call modern-day peddlers by selling their products from booths at events such as womens wellness shows and Bloomsday, from mall kiosks, and on the Internet.


They say on their Web site, We thought it would be wonderful to weave in our Native American cultural ideas of harmony and balance for wellness with the use of essential oils, and Sister Sky was born!


Many of the Spokanes traditional uses of herbs are kept strictly within the tribe, so Simeon and TurningRobe used the concept theyd grown up with of using herbs for health and well-being, but looked elsewhere for the ingredients that would make up their aromatherapy line. Why dont we take some general, mainstream things and run with that? TurningRobe recalls saying.


The sisters and their father were concerned about how the products and the business would reflect upon their culture, and took great pains to ensure that their enterprise wouldnt exploit it.


Its an on-going challenge to market Sister Sky as a Native American company while maintaining the dignity of their heritage, Simeon and TurningRobe say. They rejected stereotypical label designs, such as a wolf howling at the moon, in favor of a more contemporary look featuring a crescent moon and stars. They wear vests of Native American design, but have declined requests that they wear traditional regalia for commercial purposes.


It took a full year of experimenting with formulas for lotions and bath gels before Simeon and TurningRobe were satisfied they had products that worked and that would appeal to a large market.


Its like baking a cake without a recipe, Simeon says. Then, whenever they had an opportunity to get into the public eye at events in the Spokane and Seattle areas, they would whip up a batch of their products. Now that theyre no longer making the products themselves, they have more time to focus on growing the business, they say.


The sisters will be attending their first wholesale trade show, the Seattle Gift Show, later this month. There, they hope to meet with Coldwater Creek Inc., the big Sandpoint-based retailer of apparel and gifts. Simeon and TurningRobe also are mulling whether to open their own retail outlet in Spokane.


While building Sister Sky, the sisters are continuing to fill management roles at their fathers casino, but because theyre putting into their own business, they no longer work shifts on the casino floor.


Now that Sister Sky has farmed out its production, its next challenge is to expand the product line to include other products made by Native American businesses and tribes, the sisters say.


They say theres a large market, in the U.S. and overseas, for Native American-themed products, including T-shirts, pottery, jewelry, and herbal items, but many such products are imported, not made by Native Americans. Currently, Sister Sky is selling pieces made by Sioux Pottery, of South Dakota, and is contacting other tribes seeking more such collaborations.


Their vision is to help other Native Americans tap into those markets. If theres a demand for it, lets meet that demand, Simeon says.