Owamni Restaurant Chef Sean Sherman

THAT WAS GREAT.

>> OH, THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU.

>> CATHY: MINNEAPOLIS' INDIGENOUS RESTAURANT OWAMNI HAS BEEN MAKING WAVES IN THE NATIONAL CULINARY SCENE BY USING ONLY NATIVE INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE IN PRE-COLONIAL TIMES.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE MET CHEF SEAN SHERMAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS VISION.

>> DO I KNOWERS FEATS ON APPEALING REFINED PLATES AS THEY OVERLUKE THE FALLING WATERS OF St. ANTHONY'S DAM.

THIS IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST SEATS IN TOWN AND ALSO GROUND-BREAKING.

>> IN OUR LANGUAGE, MEANS THE PLACE OF THE FALLING SWIRLING WATER AND FOR THE DAKOTA PEOPLE, THERE WAS A VILLAGE ON THIS SIDES OF THE RIVER FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, THIS WAS A PLACE FOR PORTAGING, MEETING, GATHERING, ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

IT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT SPOT.

>> LAKOTAS CHEF SEAN SHERMAN AND HIS PARTNER OPENED THE RESTAURANT ON DAKOTAS LANDS WITH COOPERATION OF THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK BOARD.

LAST YEAR IT WON BEST NEW RESTAURANT IN AMERICA BY THE PRESTIGIOUS JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION.

>> WE USE SIMPLE INGREDIENTS, TRYING TO USE INDIGENOUS, THERE'S NO DAIRY, WHEAT, BEEF, PORK, CHICKEN, THINGS THAT DIDN'T EXIST HERE, WE TOOK AWAY.

>> THE PLATES ARE ARTFUL, STEEPED IN REGIONAL INGREDIENTS YET INFUSED WITH MEANING, LIKE THE BISON TACOS AND SMOKED WHITE FISH.

THE MESSAGE IS NOT ONLY ABOUT SURVIVAL AND SUSTENANCE BUT OF RECLAMATION.

>> WE AREN'T TRYING TO COOK LIKE THE PAST, NOT TRYING TO BE A MUSEUM AND SAY THIS IS A MEAL FROM THE 1800s, WE'RE TRYING TO SAY THIS IS THE FOOD OF THE FUTURE.

>> SHERMAN GREW UNON THE PINE RIDGE REGULARS VACATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA.

HE GREW UP EATING CANNED FOOD AND FRY BREAD.

BY 14, HE FOUND HIS WAY INTO KITSCHENS AND NEVER LEFT.

>> FEW YEARS INTO MY CHEF CAREER, I RECOGNIZED THE ABSENCE OF INDIGENOUS IN ORDER, INCLUDING IN MY OWN KNOWLEDGE.

>> THAT SETS HIM ABOUT THE PATH OF LEARNING OF THE FOOD OF HIS LAKOTA ANCESTORS BEFORE HE AND COLONIZATION.

THEY LAUNCHED THE SIOUX CHEF BUSINESS IN 2014, A FOOD TRUCK, A FOOD LAB AND A NATIONALLY LAUDED RESTAURANTS LATER.

THE MESSAGE IS RESONATING.

>> I WON'T SAY HE WAS THE FIRST BECAUSE WE'VE HAD OTHER INDIGENOUS CHEFS BUT I THINK SEAN HAS DONE A LOT TO HELP ELEVATE THE MOVEMENT IN TERMS OF BRINGING VISIBILITY, TELLING A STORY.

>> CORNELIUS IS AN ONEIDA NATION FARMER AND INVOLVED WITH THE INDIGENOUS MOVEMENT.

HE SAYS THE RESTAURANTS AKES A POINT TO SOURCE FOOD FROM OTHERS.

>> SEAN IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF REALLY HELPING TO NOT ONLY DIRECT SALES TO PRODUCERS WITH THE RESTAURANT, WITH NATIVES, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BUILDING A LEVEL OF DEMAND THAT ULTIMATELY IS GOOD FOR OUR PRODUCERS.

THE CHALLENGE WAS WE JUST NEED MORE PRODUCT.

>> CHEF SHERMAN HAS BEEN TAKING HIS MESSAGE ON THE ROAD FROM US TRAIL YA, HAWAII ND EVEN HERE AT MOORHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY.

>> NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE IN NORTH AMERICA, WE ARE STANDING ON INDIGENOUS LAND AND NORTH AMERICA HISTORY -- NORTH AMERICA'S HISTORY BEGINS WITH INDIGENOUS HISTORY FIRST.

>> INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS FOLKS CROWDED INTO A ROOM ON CAMPUS TO GET A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM ONE OF THE CULINARY WORLD'S LATEST STARS.

WHAT THEY GOT WAS A HISTORY LESSON.

>> THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE BASICALLY BUILDS THE RAMEWORK AND JUSTIFIES THIS VERY YOUNG COUNTRY, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO BASICALLY MURDER AND REMOVE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND STEAL THEIR ANDS SPACES.

THEY WOULD GATHER THEM ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN STATES WHERE THEY WERE MOSTLY STILL TERRITORIES AND THEY WOULD PROMISE THAT IF YOU JOIN UP, WE'LL TAKE OUT THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU CAN TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT HOME WITH YOU.

IT WAS JUST SO MUCH VIOLENCE IS ALL I'M TRYING TO GET TO AND YOU CAN READ MANY, MANY MORE INSTANCES OF THAT.

>> AND IN 2023, THIS NORTHERN MINNESOTA AUDIENCE WAS OPEN.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS FANTASTIC.

I CAME EXPECTING MOSTLY A SPEECH ON RECIPES AND FOOD BUT I LEARNED HOW THE HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS FOOD WAS ESSENTIALLY TAKEN AWAY AND IT'S HOW INTERESTING HOW SEAN IS BRINGING IT BACK.

>> SHERMAN SAYS TALKING TO STUDENTS IS IMPORTANT.

FOR SOME, IT MAY BE THE FIRST NON-EURO-CENTERED HISTORY LESSON THEY HEAR.

>> I KNOW I GO THROUGH SOME DARK HISTORY BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO THROUGH THAT AND I KNOW THERE ARE EMOTIONS THAT COME UP WITH THE STORIES THAT I TELL BUT, AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE HUMANS AND WE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THIS HUMANITY BOTH GOOD AND BAD AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER SOME OF THE TRAUMA THAT SOME OF US HAVE BEEN PUT THROUGH AND TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT SOLUTIONS TO HOPEFULLY OT LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> AFTERWARDS, SHERMAN AND HIS CREW SERVED UP FRESH LOCAL INDIGENOUS FOOD FOR $11.

>> WE HAVE SOME GRAIN MIX ON THE BOTTOM, SO CORN, WE HAVE SOME BEANS FROM THE SOUTHWEST, SOME WILD RICE FROM RED LAKE, ROOSTED VEGIES, SOME DUCK, SOME BERRY SAUCE AND FRESH GREENS, REALLY SIMPLE.

>> MARIA DID NOT KNOW WHO SHERMAN WAS.

SHE CAME AT THE URGING OF HER SON.

SHERMAN'S MESSAGE REMINDED HER OF HER INDIGENOUS MEXICAN GRANDMOTHER.

>> I APPRECIATED IT IS HISTORY LESSONS, THE BRAVERY ON SPEAKING THE TRUTHS OF THE HISTORY LESSONS AND I AM