The #SiouxChef is Reclaiming North America’s #Indigenous Cuisine

Sean Sherman, co-author of a new cookbook and co-founder of The Sioux Chef, explains why original North American foods and #NativeFoodways are vital to creating a healthy and #SustainableFuture

Sean Sherman
October 18, 2017

Excerpt: "Although hamburgers, pizza, and Coca-Cola are among the foods most often identified as 'American' cuisine, the truth is that over-sugared, over-salted, and fat-laden processed fare does not represent the true American diet. The original American cuisine arose from the vibrant and diverse indigenous cultures that thrived across the North American continent for thousands of years before #colonization.

"My grandparents were among the first generation to be systematically assimilated to 'American”' culture—I heard stories of children kidnapped and sent to boarding schools, their hair cut, their language forbidden. How I wish I had been taught more than the handful of recipes I learned as a child — #wasna (dried meat and berries), #taniga (tripe soup), #bapa (#bison jerky), and #wojape (#chokecherry sauce).

"When I was 13 years old, I began my working in professional kitchens, and by my early 20s, I had become an executive chef. I mastered the art of Italian, French, and Spanish cuisines until, at the height of my career, I knew I wanted to understand why there were so few #NativeAmerican restaurants across the U.S.

"As part of The Sioux Chef, I work with my partner #DanaThompson and a team of 10 chefs, plus a number of indigenous culinary partners across Indian country. Our vision is to create more than a restaurant—it will be a place where we can share our skills, knowledge, and passion, with the goal of spreading our work across the whole of North America. To help us achieve these ends, our new #NāTIFS non-profit will focus primarily on indigenous food education and access. Through NāTIFS, we have created a research-and-development team called the '#IndigenousFoodLab' to further our own research, document our work, and help us become better educators.

"We are also building a replicable model that will place an #IndigenousFoodHub in larger urban areas. The hubs will house a regionally unique indigenous restaurant that will not only make the indigenous foods available to the public, but also serve as a training center to educate students in the preparation, cooking, and preservation of #IndigenousFoods. They will also house education centers that offer classes based on the many curriculums we have been developing to help people identify, understand, and apply the knowledge of indigenous food systems."

Original story:
https://civileats.com/2017/10/18/the-sioux-chef-is-reclaiming-north-americas-indigenous-cuisine/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/jFFbO

#DecolonizeYourDiet #SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #TribalFoodSovereignty #NativeAmericanMonth #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
#NativeAmericanFoodSovereignty #DecolonizeYourDiet #AnimalProducts #BuffaloHarvest #IndigenousFoodSystems

The Enduring Harvest: Reshaping Food Systems on Turtle Island

Posted on November 13, 2025

"On Turtle Island, the land now largely known as North America, traditional food harvesting is far more than a means of sustenance; it is the very bedrock of cultural identity, spiritual connection, and sovereign resilience for Indigenous peoples. For millennia, before the arrival of European colonizers, communities across this vast continent thrived on intricate systems of hunting, fishing, gathering, and agriculture, guided by a profound understanding of the land and its cycles. This #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge (#TEK), passed down through countless generations, represents a sophisticated science of sustainability, reciprocity, and interconnectedness that continues to shape modern efforts to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous foodways.

"The concept of Turtle Island itself is rooted in creation stories shared by many Indigenous nations, where a giant turtle forms the foundation of the world. This narrative underscores an inherent and sacred relationship between people and the land—a relationship that mandates stewardship rather than domination. Traditional harvesting practices are not merely about taking from the land, but about participating in a continuous cycle of giving and receiving, ensuring the health of both the ecosystem and the community.

A Tapestry of Traditional Foods

"Across Turtle Island, the diversity of traditional food systems reflects the continent’s varied ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, the #salmon run is not just a seasonal event but the pulse of life itself. Nations like the #NezPerce, #Kwakwakawakw, and #Haida have relied on salmon for thousands of years, developing complex fishing techniques, preservation methods, and ceremonies that honor the fish as a sacred relative.

" 'Salmon is our first food, our medicine, our economy, and our culture,' states a representative from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. However, the construction of #dams, #logging, and #IndustrialPollution have severely impacted salmon populations, disrupting a lifeline for these communities. Despite these challenges, nations are actively working on habitat restoration, dam removal advocacy, and culturally informed fisheries management to bring the salmon home.

"On the vast plains, the #bison (or buffalo) was once the lifeblood of nations such as the #Lakota, #Cheyenne, and #Blackfeet. Millions roamed freely, providing not only food but also shelter, tools, and spiritual guidance. Every part of the animal was utilized, embodying a profound respect for its sacrifice.

"European #colonization, driven by a deliberate policy to destroy Indigenous economies and cultures, led to the near extinction of the bison, reducing their numbers from an estimated 30-60 million to a mere few hundred by the late 19th century. Today, through initiatives like the InterTribal Buffalo Council, Indigenous nations are reintroducing bison to tribal lands, a powerful act of cultural and ecological restoration. 'Bringing the buffalo back is bringing our people back,' remarks Ervin Carlson, former president of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. "It’s healing, it’s hope, it’s sovereignty."

Read more (archived version):
https://archive.ph/BLZiA

#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #TribalFoodSovereignty #NativeAmericanMonth
#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
#NativeAmericanFoodSovereignty #DecolonizeYourDiet #AnimalProducts #BuffaloHarvest

#Montana - Food Access & Sustainability Team (#FAST) #Blackfeet hosts Community #FoodSovereignty event

By: Brianna Juneau
Posted 8:27 PM, Oct 24, 2025
and last updated 1:54 PM, Oct 27, 2025

Sovereignty event
FAST Blackfeet hosts Community Food Sovereignty event
Photo by: MTN News
By: Brianna Juneau
Posted 8:27 PM, Oct 24, 2025
and last updated 1:54 PM, Oct 27, 2025

BROWNING — "#FASTBlackfeet hosted a Community Food Sovereignty event starting with a bison harvest in the morning and a lodge set-up in the afternoon where people gathered to attend workshops about #FoodPreparation.

FAST stands for Food Access & Sustainability Team."

FMI / Watch video:
https://www.krtv.com/neighborhood-news/indian-country/fast-blackfeet-hosts-community-food-sovereignty-event

#SolarPunkSunday #FoodSovereignty #IndigenousFoodSovereignty #BlackfeetNation #BrowningMT #AnimalProducts #BuffaloHarvest #IndigenousFoodSecurity #NativeAmericanFoodSovereignty

FAST Blackfeet hosts Community Food Sovereignty event

FAST Blackfeet hosted a Community Food Sovereignty event starting with a bison harvest in the morning and a lodge set-up in the afternoon

KRTV NEWS Great Falls