Sean Sherman

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems

The mission of NᾹTIFS is to promote Indigenous foodways education and facilitate Indigenous food access.

A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Chef Sean Sherman focuses on the revitalization and evolution of Indigenous food systems throughout North America. Through his activism and advocacy, Sean is helping to reclaim and celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Indigenous communities around the world.

As Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS) and its Indigenous Food Lab, Sean works to make Indigenous foods more accessible to communities across the country. Through this professional Indigenous kitchen and training center, he addresses the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by reestablishing Native foodways. NĀTIFS envisions a new North American food system that generates wealth and improves health in Native communities through food-related enterprises.

Sean’s first book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, won the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2018, and he received the Foundation’s Leadership Award in 2019. In 2021, he opened Owamni, Minnesota’s first full-service Indigenous restaurant, which earned the 2022 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America, among many other honors.