DECOLONIZED INGREDIENTS
Experience the true flavors of North America, featuring foods of Mni Sota Makoce, Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds.
We prioritize purchasing from Indigenous food producers locally and nationally. We have removed colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy. We are proud to present a decolonized dining experience.
PROMOTING INDIGENOUS FOODWAYS EDUCATION
YOU ARE ON NATIVE LAND
Our mission is to promote Indigenous foodways education and facilitate Indigenous food access.
Chef Sean Sherman is an award-winning chef, educator, author, and activist. A member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, Sean’s personal mission is to revitalize Indigenous food systems and build awareness of the transformational potential of Indigenous foodways to restore the health, local economies, culture, and food sovereignty of Native people.
About Sean
Chef Sean Sherman has dedicated his career to supporting and promoting Indigenous food systems and Native food sovereignty.
Sean’s cooking style is based on pre-colonial Indigenous food systems, using only ingredients that are native to North America. His menus are inspired by the seasons and the land, featuring traditional ingredients like bison, hand-harvested wild rice, cedar, and sumac. He draws on the knowledge and culinary techniques of his ancestors to develop innovative, nutritious, and flavorful dishes that incorporate wild game, fish, foraged plants, and heirloom grains.
Through his activism and advocacy, Sean is helping to reclaim and celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Indigenous communities around the world.
PHOTO: NANCY BUNDT
“Our ancestors understood how to live in balance with the natural world. Indigenous foods are the original foods of this continent. It’s important we recognize that and start celebrating those foods.”
“Sean has had a major impact on revitalizing and revolutionizing Native cuisine in the U.S., including through his Minneapolis-based restaurant Owamni, which has expanded with the work of his nonprofit, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems. He has galvanized a new generation of Indigenous chefs to honor their culinary heritage and to decolonize their diets.”
“Through his activism and advocacy, Sean is helping to reclaim and celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Indigenous communities around the world.”
PHOTO: SEAN SHERMAN
NĀTIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems) is a non-profit organization that works to revitalize Indigenous food systems across North America. We envision a food system that generates wealth and improves health in Native communities through food-related enterprises. NATIFS initiatives include the Indigenous Food Lab, advocacy and education, seed and knowledge sovereignty, and Indigenous foodways curriculum.
The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen
Here is real food—our indigenous American fruits and vegetables, the wild and foraged ingredients, game and fish. Locally sourced, seasonal, “clean” ingredients and nose-to-tail cooking are nothing new to Sean Sherman, the Oglala Lakota chef and founder of The Sioux Chef. In his breakout book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, Sherman shares his approach to creating boldly seasoned foods that are vibrant, healthful, at once elegant and easy.
Indigenous Food Lab Market
High-quality Indigenous foods and products
The Indigenous Food Lab Market is a kitchen and retail space that offers high-quality Indigenous foods and products to our community. We work to broaden access to Native-made goods and allow people to experience contemporary Indigenous offerings while empowering entrepreneurs to expand their audience.
Updates
Indigenous Foods of the Big Sky – The Native Table Live with Chef Sean Sherman
Exploring the Indigenous Future Foods of Montana and Indigenous Food Lab coming to Bozeman in 2025. THU APRIL 24THE NATIVE TABLE: LIVE @ THE ELLEN$15 Order tickets hereJoin 3X James Beard Winning Lakota Chef Sean Sherman on Stage at the Ellen to discuss the...
The Curious 100 – Honoree Sean Sherman
Written by Yvonne Abedi At a time when diversity and community are under threat, The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is pushing back with the launch of The Curious 100. This nonprofit initiative honors 100 groundbreaking visionaries across the United States...
The Elevate Prize Foundation Bolsters Social Good Mission by Awarding Global Changemakers $6M to Scale Visionary Work
The Elevate Prize Foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary by recognizing...
FINDING YOUR ROOTS – Sean Sherman Learns About A Tragic Past
FINDING YOUR ROOTS Sean Sherman Learns About A Tragic Past Clip: Season 11 Episode 5 | 4m 7sVideo has Closed Captions | CC Sean learns of his ancestor who was sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Aired 02/04/2025 | Rating TV-PG
Where Is All the Native Food?
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Grantmaking area: Higher Learning Author: Anthony Balas Photography and Video:ARE WE THERE YET? Films Date: February 4, 2025 NATIFS is an organization that asks: What would it look like to decolonize our diets? Even in...
WORD OF MOUTH – Episode 69: The Sioux Chef – Sean Sherman from Owamni in Minneapolis
Sean Sherman is an activist and the chef at restaurant Owamni, Minneapolis. He is also an educator, an author and a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. He was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and as a teenager began working in restaurants and...
“We’re here to create a conversation about what Indigenous foods are and why they’re important.”
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