It's been a long winter. We made it. And now the land is doing what it does — slowly, on its own schedule, without asking anyone's permission.
That's kind of the whole teaching right there.

What the Sky Is Doing Right Now.....
In Lakota knowledge, we don't start the year in January. We follow Hanwi , the moon, and we follow the stars. The sky is a calendar if you know how to read it.
Right now, as we move through Wetu (spring), look for Cansasa Ipusye  the Dried Willow constellation, made up of what Western astronomy calls Aries and Triangulum. Its heliacal rising, when it first appears above the horizon at dawn, marks the spring equinox. This is a signal. The red willow is stirring. The land is waking up.
The Pleiades , Wicincala Sakowin, the Seven Little Girls,  are also moving in the sky right now. Their position in the early morning sky signals the Welcoming Back the Thunders, the season of return and renewal. When the Thunderbeings come back, the rains come. The plants hear it before we do.
The sky doesn't announce itself. It just moves. We're the ones who have to pay attention.

Magáksicaagli Wí , Moon When the Geese Return
We are in the time of Magáksicaagli Wí,  the moon when the geese return. If you've been outside, you've heard them. That sound is not just birds. It's a signal that the seasonal shift has arrived and it's time for us to move too.
This is the moon of early plant emergence. The geese come back and behind them, the first greens push through. Stinging nettle breaks ground. Dandelion root is at its strongest. The sap is running. Everything that looked dead is just resting.
The Lakota calendar follows 13 moons. Thirteen complete lunar cycles. This one , the return of the geese  marks the real beginning of the growing season. Not January 1. Not some arbitrary date. The geese coming back.
The land teaches those who listen.

Our Plant Relatives Are Waking Up.....
We make everything at Lakota Made from plant relatives. Not plant ingredients  relatives. There's a difference in how you approach something when you call it a relative versus a resource.
Right now, the plants we work with most are beginning their cycle:

NETTLE (ĈANWIYUSKITE / STINGING NETTLE)
One of the first plants to emerge in spring. Nettle is a mineral-dense plant  iron, magnesium, calcium. In Lakota plant medicine, it's used for building strength after winter. It supports the kidneys, the blood, and the respiratory system. We infuse nettle into our Hair Oil, use it in teas, and work it into tinctures. Spring is when this plant is at its most vital.

YARROW (HANTE CHANHLOGAN)
Yarrow is a wound herb. It stops bleeding, fights infection, and has been used by Indigenous peoples across this continent for a very long time. It starts coming up in late spring. We use it in several of our salves, Triple Healing, Nasli, Wound Care, and in the Echinacea & Yarrow Tincture.

ELDERBERRY (CHANPA-LIKE RELATIVES)
The elder is budding right now. By summer, the flowers come first, then the berries. We work with elderberries and elderflowers across our entire tonic and honey line. Elder is known for supporting immune function, respiratory health, and has been a community medicine plant for generations. This is not a trend. This is old knowledge.

DANDELION & BURDOCK ROOT
These are spring purifiers. Both support the liver and kidneys ,  your body's filtration system after a long winter of heavier food and less movement. We work with burdock root in our Hair Oil and in the Kidney & Liver Tincture. Spring is exactly when these medicines make the most sense.

We harvest with relationship, not just with hands. The plants are only as good as the care we put into approaching them.

What We're Making for Spring and Summer
Here's what's in rotation right now and through the summer. These are the products we're actively making and have available , not a catalog dump, just what fits the season and what we can actually keep stocked.

Hair
Hair Oil,  Our most requested product. Nettle, peppermint, rosemary, horsetail, chamomile, dandelion root, burdock root. Spring and summer are prime time for hair growth support. If you've been wanting to try it, now is the right time.
Nettle Shampoo Bar,  Simple. Clean. Works. Nettle powder right in the bar.
Rosemary & Peppermint Shampoo Bar , Stimulating and clarifying. Good for oily scalp in warmer weather.

Skin & Salves
Nasli Salve  A multi-herb salve with yarrow, leadplant, plantain, nettle, chamomile, calendula, turmeric. Good for everyday skin issues.
Foot Salve  Summer is rough on feet. Mugwort, jewelweed, plantain, yarrow. This is the one.
Shake Antifungal Salve;  Nobody likes to talk about this but everyone deals with it in summer. Calendula, jewelweed, turmeric, rosemary. It works.
Triple Healing Salve;  White willow bark, plantain, yarrow. A solid everyday healing salve.
Wound Care Salve,  Lady's mantle, comfrey, plantain, yarrow. Keep one in your bag if you're spending time outside.
Wahinkpe's Pain Salve,  Our most comprehensive pain salve. Lavender, plantain, comfrey, yarrow, calendula, chamomile, arnica, ginger, peppermint, magnesium. A lot of plant knowledge in one jar.
Tatanka Salve; Marigold, arnica, nettle, ginger, turmeric, goldenrod. Anti-inflammatory and grounding. Great for joint support in active seasons.

Tinctures
These are alcohol-free, glycerite-based. Accessible for people who can't or don't want alcohol-based tinctures.
Echinacea & Yarrow; Immune support going into allergy and transition season.
Nettle Tincture; Mineral support, respiratory, kidney function. A spring staple.
Cagu (Lung) Tincture; Mullein, horehound, plantain. For the lungs. Allergy season is here.
Wonazute (Sinus) Tincture; Goldenrod, mullein, plantain, nettle, yarrow, ginger. Sinus support. This one moves fast in spring.
Kidney & Liver Tincture; Burdock root, cleavers. Spring cleansing support. Your body wants this after winter.
Pejuta Winyan Tincture; Lady's mantle, raspberry, calendula, rose petals, burdock root. Women's wellness. A grounding formula for this time of year.

Elderberry & Honey
Elderberry Honey Syrup; Simple. Elderberries and raw honey. That's it.
Elderberry Infused Honey; Elderberries slow-infused into honey. Take it off a spoon, put it in tea, do what you want with it.
Elderberry Tonic; 16oz and 32oz. Elderberries, elderflower, cinnamon, star anise. A daily support tonic.
Elderberry Chaga Tonic; Honey, elderberries, elderflower, chaga mushroom, yarrow, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, star anise. The most comprehensive one we make.

Teas
Pejuta Akisni Tea; Nettle, goldenrod, elderberry, raspberry leaf, flat cedar, chaga mushroom. A healing medicine tea.
Pejuta Winyan Tea; Nettle, lady's mantle, raspberry, calendula, rose petals, burdock root. Made for women's wellness.
Tezi Tea; Nettle, chamomile, ginger root. Warming and grounding. Good for digestion and transition seasons.
Juniper Nettle Tea; Stinging nettle and juniper berries. Clean. Simple. Strong.
Istime Tea; Wild hops and chamomile. For sleep support. Summer restlessness is real.

Lip Care
Sweetgrass Lip Balm; Sweetgrass fragrance. One of the most beloved things we make.
Akisni Lip Balm; Plantain, yarrow, peppermint. A healing lip balm, not just a moisturizing one.
Eucalyptus Lip Balm; Simple and clean. Good for outdoor seasons.
Vanilla Lip Balm; Classic. Always sells.

Lotion Bars
Lavender Luxury Solid Lotion; Shea butter, beeswax, lavender. No water, no dilution. Concentrated skin support.
Rosemary & Sage Lotion Bar; A grounding scent combination. Good for dry skin in warming weather.
Vanilla Luxury Solid Lotion; Simple. Rich. Works on everything.

Subscription
Maker's Choice Subscription Box; We pick what's moving, what's seasonal, what we think you should try. A good way to stay stocked without overthinking it.

A Note From Me.....
We've been doing this long enough that spring feels different to us now than it did when we started. It's not just warmer weather. It's a shift in what the land needs from us and what it offers back.
We're a small operation. We still make everything by hand in Mankato. We're still figuring out how to balance making things well with making enough of them. But we're here, and the products we have right now are ones we stand behind completely.
If you've been waiting for a good time to order; this is it. The plants are ready. We're ready.
If you're local, come find us at 606 N Riverfront Dr. You can see where things are made and what's on the shelf.

Megan L Bull Bear.