Si’st Sipu ~ Three Rivers
My name is Melissa Wood and I am a status Mi’kmaq living in Mi’kima’ki along the shores of the Restigouche River in northern New Brunswick. This is my traditional territory and has been the land my ancestors have called home since time immemorial.
Si’st Sipu (Siist Si•bu) means three rivers in Mi’kmaq, is the name of one of my grandmothers, and it also represents the “three rivers” of knowledge and plant medicine teachings I’ve received from Elders in North, Central and South America.
My plant medicine journey began more than a decade ago when I lived among the peaks of volcanoes in Guatemala. Although the plants have always spoken to me, it was during my time spent with Mayan Elders, that my understanding and application of plant medicine flourished. The traditional knowledge they shared deepened my connection to the plants and their uses. Since returning to my traditional territory these teachings have been combined with traditional knowledge of the Mi’kmaq and other Nations from the tip of Turtle Island to the bottom of South America.
I’ve been able to fuse my understanding of plants with the knowledge and years of practical application I’ve experienced as a leader in the Beauty industry. My career spans more than 25 years as a Hairstylist and make-up Artist, and it has been the foundation on which I’ve expanded. I am well versed in the science of skincare and haircare, and we only work with high-quality raw materials and organic and wildcrafted herbs, flowers and resins, that nourish and heal the body.
Our products fuse these traditional teachings with Western science to create plant medicines in a Good Way.