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.”
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.
Updates
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day Through Food and Stories: A NATIFS Collaboration
Indigenous Peoples' Day is a time to honor and celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of Indigenous communities across North America. This year, on Monday, October 9th, an exciting event will take place at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis....
NORTH AMERICAN TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS FOOD SYSTEMS (NATIFS) ACQUIRES ACCLAIMED MINNEAPOLIS RESTAURANT OWAMNI
MINNEAPOLIS — North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) announces its acquisition of the James Beard Award-winning Minneapolis restaurant Owamni.Through this acquisition, NATIFS will expand its reach and impact, furthering Chef Sean Sherman's vision...
Sean Sherman at the 9th Annual Julia Child Award Gala in Minneapolis, MN
2023 JULIA CHILD AWARD RECIPIENT Sean Sherman Celebrate the 2023 recipient of the Julia Child Award—nationally- acclaimed chef Sean Sherman—an award-winning cookbook author, activist and founder of the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)....
An interview with The Sioux Chef Sean Sherman at the State Fair
MPRnews
NATIFS, founder Sean Sherman announce Indigenous Peoples’ Day details at State Fair
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A Minneapolis nonprofit founded by accomplished Indigenous chef Sean Sherman will be sponsoring and supporting the Minnesota State Fair's Indigenous People's Day. On Thursday, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) announced...
America’s Cultural Heritage Seeds
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems’ connection to Seed Savers Exchange — and why it matters Whether you’re an avid gardener or a black thumb, you’re likely to have heard of the Three Sisters planting method: a trio of corn, pole beans and squash...
“We’re here to create a conversation about what Indigenous foods are and why they’re important.”