Spotlight: Chef Sean Sherman
Chef Sean Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
He has become a leading advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty, focusing on revitalizing and promoting traditional Native foods.
In 2015, in an effort to make Indigenous foods more accessible, he founded the nonprofit NĀTIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems) and the Indigenous Food Lab, a professional kitchen and training center in Minneapolis. Working to address the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by re-establishing Native foodways, NĀTIFS imagines a new North American food system that generates wealth and improves health in Native communities through food-related enterprises.
In 2017, Sean published his first book with author Beth Dooley, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, which received the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2018. He is also the recipient of the 2019 Leadership Award from the James Beard Foundation.
In 2021, Sean opened Minnesota’s first full service Indigenous restaurant, Owamni by The Sioux Chef, which received the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America for 2022.
Most recently, Chef Sean Sherman was honored as TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023 and in 2023 was named recipient of the ninth annual Julia Child Award for culinary activism, innovation.
His work has earned him widespread recognition for his innovative approach to reclaiming and celebrating Indigenous culinary traditions.
Common Ground Summit 2024 is an invitation to step Into Community with Place with us, celebrate connection, and discover the power of the collective. We hope to see you there.
In the coming weeks, we will be featuring other unique experiences and people who make the Summit experience what it is. Stay tuned.
Common Ground Summit is an immersive gathering designed to change the way you approach connection to place. Join us for a 3-day regenerative leadership summit featuring curated conversations, authentic experiences, ridiculously good food and meaningful relationships.
