Sean Sherman

James Beard Award Winner

Sean Sherman is an award-winning chef, educator, author, and activist. A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Sherman is a leading figure in the Indigenous food movement. He is co-founder of the celebrated Minneapolis restaurant Owamni, a three-time James Beard Award winner, a Julia Child Award winner, and was named one of Time magazine's most influential people in 2023.

Sherman's latest project, Turtle Island, is among the most comprehensive works to date on the food traditions and legacies of Indigenous peoples across North America. Co-written with Katie Nelson and Kristin Donnelly, the book delves into the rich culinary landscapes of this continent region by region, harnessing the power of resistance for a more sustainable, grounded, and inclusive world. Exemplifying how Native foodways can teach us all to connect with the natural world around us, Turtle Island features narrative histories that spotlight the communities producing, gathering, and cooking these foods, including remarkable stories of ingenuity and adaptation that capture the strength of Indigenous communities. "This book is a must-read for a true understanding of the beauty of Indigenous culture and history of this land," says actor, author, and reading advocate LeVar Burton.

Born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Sherman has been cooking nationally and globally for the past thirty years. In 2014, he opened The Sioux Chef as a caterer and food educator in the Twin Cities area. To facilitate Indigenous food access, Sherman launched the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS). His first book, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen (co-written with Beth Dooley), and his restaurant, Owamni, both earned James Beard Awards.