The Nuwati Story

Warning: Storytelling is a part of the Cherokee culture. This is a long story. If you don't have a few minutes to spend reading it, please go on to another page and revisit us later. I want to explain how Nuwati Herbals came about, and to do that I need to tell you the whole story. It will help you to better understand where we come from, and why our company is different.

The Nuwati Story
(as told by Rod Jackson)

Nuwati Herbals began in August 2002, at a small show in St. Louis, Missouri.  At least that was the first public display of the Nuwati products. The idea and the premise was established over 50 years ago when my Grandma would send me out, at the age of 5, to gather herbs, bark, roots, flowers, and leaves, from which she would make Medicine. She taught me the proper way to gather, so that there would always be plants for future generations. I developed a special connection with Nature, and required close contact and frequent encounters with the woods and Mother Earth. I always seemed to find stones that wanted me to pick them up and carry them around, and one of my biggest thrills was walking the plowed fields after a rain, finding arrowheads that were exposed on a pedestal of mud. I would pick one up, clutch it in my hand, and close my eyes to feel every vibration from that ancient relic. I would think, "This has been laying here ever since it was shot by an Indian and I found it." I felt a connection, but really didn't understand why.

My parents loved nature and took my sister and I traveling cross-country whenever they could. One Sunday afternoon when I was about nine, we took my grandparents on a trip to see relatives in Southern Illinois. We ended the trip at the Trail of Tears Park in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. As I was reading the sign about the atrocities that took place on the Trail, I began shedding my own tears. My Grandpa saw what was going on and pulled me aside. In a hushed voice he said to me, "Boy, do you know that you are an Indian?" My eyes flew wide open, not believing what I was hearing. "Those are your People you are reading about up there." That was all that was said, but now I understood why I was so drawn to the arrowheads I had found.

As the years went on, I attended Jefferson College, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, earning Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Speech and Language Pathology. During my college years, I always maintained my strong connection with Mother Earth. After graduation I specialized in rehabilitating stroke patients and continued my exploration of Native American Spirituality. I started studying alternative or complementary healing practices and became a Reiki Master. I did an extended internship with Dr. Thomas Sachs, a Naturopathic Doctor, and 8th generation Cherokee Medicine Man. I then bought a Health Food store, calling it The Medicine Wheel. People would come to my store and ask for help with their health, telling me that they had tried Western Medicine to no avail. I would call upon the Plant People (herbs), and make teas and balms for them. I never made any medical claims. I would just say, "Try this and see what it does for you." I began hearing comments like, "I haven't slept this well in years," or "Your tea is the only thing I have found that calmed the storm in my stomach." The word of my teas and balms spread and I found myself helping more and more people. Over time my 'remedies' became a major part of my business. But, to quote the great philosopher Harry Callahan, "Every man's got to know his limitations," and I knew mine. In one word, Retail. I could only help as many people as I could get to enter my store. Unfortunately, I lacked the marketing background necessary to wholesale my products. In March of 2002, I attended a Holistic Expo at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. There were numerous products promoting health and wellness, and I couldn't help but think how my own products would fit in. As I walked around, I noticed a small redheaded woman with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. I vowed if I saw her one more time I would talk to her. Later that day while leaving a seminar, as Creator would have it, I ran right into her and that is how I met my partner, Kimberly.

The Nuwati Story
(as told by Kimberly Stauder)

After a thirty year marketing and management career in the commercial insurance business, I found myself burnt out. The job had ceased to challenge me and I was constantly frustrated that I couldn't make a more positive difference in people's lives. I knew that something else in life was trying to find me and that if I didn't make a space for it, it never would. So I walked in and resigned.

The next year found me pursuing writing courses (I have since written many short stories and articles in addition to a monthly pet column in a local magazine).  I also took a part-time job, that quickly became a full-time job, with a national health and beauty chain. The pay was minimal and most of my friends thought I had lost my good sense. But I felt a strong draw to learn retail merchandising and promotion. The reason for my detour into retail sales became apparent when I met Rod Jackson. In addition to my business and marketing background, I would need a merchandising background to pursue our mutual venture.

The day we met at the Holistic Expo, a positive force was put in motion. We started a friendship, a relationship and a business in a matter of a few short months. We both wanted to have a positive influence in the lives of others. Rod had the ability to do just that with his superior and unique products. And I had the ability to tell the world about them.

We want to thank the many people who have influenced and supported the efforts of Nuwati Herbals from the day we glued our first label on a jar of tea! A special thank you goes to our many friends who have helped us with art and logo design, label design, insurance programs, reviewing contracts, setting up our credit card services, finding our trailer to haul Nuwati Herbals around the country...and most importantly of all...the manual labor it takes to setup and tear down all our shows!

The mission of Nuwati Herbals is to help people restore Balance to their lives. We thank the Creator every day for the opportunity to be part of this process.

And so, it is good...

Rod Jackson & Kimberly Stauder