Main content

Native Table

Chef Sean Sherman worked for years in Italian, Spanish, Japanese and modern American restaurants. Then one day he realized his own heritage – Lakota Sioux – had a lot to teach him about foods that would nourish himself, his customers, and the Earth.

Today, Sherman and his business partner Dana Thomson (Dakota) are exploring their Native cultural heritages by re-creating pre-colonial menus – meals that use no dairy, no wheat, no sugar. At their Minneapolis restaurant Owamni and at their Natifs Food Lab, they are bringing back to life the food ways of their not-so-distant Sioux ancestors and showing that by combining the past with the best in modern farming practices, we can create more sustainable and ethical food systems.

Their customers and the food industry have responded enthusiastically: In 2022, Owamni won the prestigious James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

Related Films

Harvesting the Sea

How can we keep Maine’s world-famous fishing communities employed and…

Farming the Sky

Winters in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, are long, and the growing season is…

The 3 Cricketeers

Like many Americans, Claire and Chad Simons worried about climate change…