Featuring Shilo and Shawna Clifford, Founders – Oglala Lakota Tribe, Badlands, South Dakota
This article is part of Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Magazine’s Native American Heritage Month series, highlighting Native and Tribally owned businesses that are making an impact in their communities and beyond.
In the heart of South Dakota’s Badlands, Shilo and Shawna Clifford are keeping Lakota healing traditions alive through their company, Wozani — a name that means “the pursuit of good health.” What began as a family practice of gathering and preparing traditional medicines has grown into a Native-owned business that blends centuries of Lakota plant knowledge with modern wellness needs.
“Every remedy we make is a living thing,” said Shilo. “We harvest with intention. We give thanks. We treat the plants as relatives — because they are.”
Reconnecting to the Medicines
For Shilo, that connection started early. As a boy, he formed a close relationship with a respected medicine man who became his teacher in Lakota song, ceremony, and herbal healing. “I became fascinated by how these medicines worked and by our relationship to them,” he said. “Even though a lot of that knowledge had to be kept quiet during the boarding-school era, some families never stopped teaching it. That’s how it survived.”
Today, he sees that wisdom returning. “When I was young, there were hardly any kids learning our ceremonies or language,” he said. “Now, whole families are coming back — learning our plant names, how to harvest respectfully, and how to care for the land. It’s beautiful to see.”
Wozani emerged from that movement of reclamation. During the pandemic, the Cliffords began receiving more requests for their herbal remedies. “We’d been making them for family and friends for years,” said Shawna. “When COVID hit, people wanted natural ways to heal, to find calm again. It just made sense to share what we already knew.”
Caring for the Land That Cares for Us
All of Wozani’s ingredients are either grown on the family’s land in Porcupine, Pine Ridge, or wild-harvested from trusted, pesticide-free areas. “We don’t use chemicals, ever,” said Shawna. “It’s harder that way, but it’s worth it.”
What sets their work apart is their devotion to native plants of the Great Plains — many of which are overlooked in mainstream herbalism. “Everyone knows about lavender or chamomile,” said Shilo, “but out here, our land has its own medicines — wild bergamot, prairie sage, red willow, cottonwood, and yucca. They’re incredibly powerful and deeply connected to our people.”
The Cliffords see themselves as caretakers of those native species. “We’ve watched areas where sage and willow used to be abundant start to thin from overharvesting,” Shilo said. “So part of our work is replanting — putting those relatives back where they belong. If we take sage, we plant sage. If we gather willow, we replant willow. It’s about balance.” They also use a portion of their business profits to replant these native/medicinal plants.
That sense of reciprocity drives everything they do. “You never just take,” he added. “You give back — with song, with gratitude, and with action.”
Remedies with Stories
Each of Wozani’s remedies carries both a story and a teaching. Their Grow: Yucca Hair Oil — is rooted in a traditional cleansing practice. “When my niece was little, she started losing her hair,” Shilo shared. “Doctors couldn’t figure it out. So we turned to yucca, which our people used for cleansing and inflammation. Within a few weeks, her hair started growing back — thick and strong. She’s grown now, and her hair reaches nearly to her knees. She’s even our model.”
Their Pain Relief Balm, made with mullein leaf, came from Shawna’s mother-in-law. “During a traditional healing ceremony, our elder medicine man directed her to use an old remedy—to wrap wet mullein leaves around her sore hands to bring relief from her pain and arthritis,” Shawna said. “It worked. So we infused mullein into oil, and now it’s one of our most popular remedies.”
And for emotional and spiritual wellness, their Liquid Smudge offers the sacred scent of sage, cedar, and sweetgrass without smoke — ideal for offices, hospitals, or anywhere open flames aren’t allowed. “It came from a need to help an elder in the hospital,” said Shilo. “She couldn’t burn smudge, so we found a way for her to still experience the medicine.”
Reclaiming the Native Voice
For the Cliffords, Wozani isn’t just a business — it’s a declaration that Lakota knowledge belongs in the modern world. “It can’t be wrong to be Indigenous,” Shilo said. “It can’t be wrong to share the knowledge that’s kept our people alive for thousands of years.”
Part of that mission means speaking out against misrepresentation. “You see companies using our imagery or calling things ‘tribal’ or ‘indigenous’ that have nothing to do with Native people,” said Shawna. “We’re telling our own story, with honesty and with respect for the elders who carried these teachings.”
A Season for Giving
As the holidays approach, Wozani is creating custom wellness gift packages — meaningful, sustainable alternatives to mass-produced self-care items. “We make bundles with products like our Pain Salve, Smudge Spray, and Hair Oil,” Shawna explained. “They’re popular with tribal programs, wellness retreats, and people who want to give something that feels genuine and connected to culture.”
When asked what might make the perfect gift for gaming and hospitality professionals — the folks who spend long hours on their feet, behind desks, or under bright lights — the Cliffords didn’t hesitate. “Our Pain Salve is great for sore backs, hands, and legs,” said Shilo. “And our Smudge Spray brings calm and focus — it’s good for anyone who wants to clear their space and mind, especially in busy environments.”
Orders are processed within three to five days, and to ensure holiday delivery, customers should order by December 12. The company also offers wholesale and event packaging, with custom labeling available for organizations or conferences.
“It’s a way to support Native business while giving something that truly helps people feel better — mind, body, and spirit,” Shawna said.
The Path Forward
Even as Wozani grows, the Cliffords remain rooted in the same land and purpose that inspired them. Their work continues to honor the balance between giving and taking, between ancient knowledge and modern need.
“Every product we make represents gratitude,” said Shilo. “When people buy from us, they’re helping us restore our medicines, our language, and our way of life. They’re becoming part of a story that began long before us — and will keep growing for generations.”
Explore Wozani’s products or create a custom order at www.wozaniwellness.com. Tribal Gaming & Hospitality subscribers use TGH15 (entered at check out) and will take 15% off the entire purchase.