By: Soumya Jain Agarwal
We were in Minnesota one weekend, exploring The Mall of America, and its massive indoor theme parks and long hallways. Just before hitting the road to come back home to Chicago, we decided to have a quick lunch. While searching on Google for restaurants around me (we had already exhausted the Mall options), I stumbled upon Owamni.
First the name intrigued me, then its menu, and then a realization dawned on me that it’s a Native American restaurant! “My goodness,” I thought, “I have never heard of a Native American restaurant before!”
We couldn’t grab food at Owamni that day because we were pressed on time. But I vowed to taste Native American food once I was back in Chicago. To my dismay, I could find none in the Chicago area. Till today, I kick myself for not trying Owamni when I had the chance.
But that led me to question – why is there such a lack of Native American restaurants in, well, America?
America, in numbers
According to the 2020 US Census, American Indians or Native Americans, makeup only 2.9% of the total population, equating to about 3.7 million people. An additional 5.9 million people have declared themselves as part-Native American. This is in contrast to 61.6% population being White (individuals with origins in any of the original peoples of Europe), 18.9% being Hispanic and Latino, 12.4% being African American, and even Asians accounting for 6%.
The historical trauma of not being allowed access to ancestral lands, sacred sites, and traditional ways of life have impacted American Indians’ ability to maintain cultural practices and identity.
Such dismal numbers for Native Americans, though shocking at first glance, is not entirely surprising, given the dark history of their eradication. And in today’s context, it also seems that the culture of Native Americans is at the brink of extinction.
For comparison, there are about 80,000 Mexican restaurants in America (approximately 11% of total restaurants). Around 12% of restaurants in America are Asian – an ethnic set that accounts for 6% of the total population. As for Native American restaurants, there are hardly any. It varies from 10 to 14 across the country.
What is Native American food?
Native American cuisine, at its most basic level, is about the bounty of nature. “Using ingredients native to the land, emphasizing seasonal and local produce. Traditional diets vary by region but include a combination of sustainably harvested plants, meats, and fish,” explains Chef Sean Sherman of Owamni. “At Owamni, we adhere to these principles by using ingredients like bison, wild rice, and native berries, and by respecting traditional preparation methods.”
If you thought fry bread was authentic Native American food, think again. Indigenous people had to make fry bread, out of the rations they were provided, to survive. It is not a part of authentic cuisine, but more of “oppression food”.
History & challenges
It seems simple enough to start a restaurant serving what is available. But it’s not. The century long eradication of Native Americans has had long-lasting effects – effects which they are still battling. They faced devastating losses of land, culture, and population, resulting in significant social and economic disruption.
The historical trauma of not being allowed access to ancestral lands, sacred sites, and traditional ways of life have impacted American Indians’ ability to maintain cultural practices and identity. This has directly percolated to the lack of Native American restaurants in America. “Additionally, there are challenges related to access to land, resources, and funding that can hinder the development of Native American-owned businesses,” explains Chef Sherman.
“It is no accident that this cuisine and these traditions have been overlooked and underappreciated. It reflects broader systemic issues, including the erasure of Native cultures and foodways from mainstream consciousness,” Chef Sherman laments. For a generation of people who are trying to reassert their life in their homeland, starting a restaurant might not be top priority. Evolution has not been kind to the Indigenous people.
Chef Sherman, who initially started with a food truck called ‘The Sioux Life’, now has the restaurant Owamni, which he opened in 2021. Even with much experience under his belt, operating a Native American restaurant is no walk in the park. “Opening the restaurant came with many challenges, from sourcing authentic ingredients to overcoming misconceptions about Native American cuisine. It was also difficult to find support and resources that understood our vision. Today, we still face challenges such as limited access to traditional ingredients and the ongoing need to educate the public about the diversity and depth of Native American food traditions,” he explains.
“By sharing our food, its stories, and the history behind it, I hope to spark interest and appreciation in a broader audience.”
Want to try?
Trying to get into a Native American restaurant will not be easy. Most probably, you don’t have one near you. But if you really want to, then head to Owamni – a critic’s favorite. “One of my favorite recipes is the ‘Three Sisters’ stew, which incorporates corn, squash, and beans—three crops that are central to many Native American diets. It’s a great example of how these ingredients work together harmoniously. We do serve variations of this stew in the restaurant, showcasing the flavors and the historical significance of these ingredients,” recommends Chef Sherman, who is a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe. He has “decolonized” his cuisine to remove any European staples, such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy.
Café Ohlone (a pop-up) in Berkley, California; Miijim in La Pointe, Wisconsin; and Black Sheep Café in Provo, Utah are some Native American restaurants to try. Sadly, despite repeated efforts, it was quite a challenge to connect with Indigenous restaurant owners to comment for this story.
If you go to an Italian or Thai restaurant, you’ll find many items on the menu to be the same through the country. A few dishes have become a benchmark for their respective cuisines. Incredibly, it’s not so for Native American restaurants. Every restaurant, because it’s owned by a different tribe member, serves a very distinctive cuisine, indigenous to their own land and ingredients.
That’s also one of the reasons why the fine diner is choosing to experience a Native American restaurant. It affords them a newer experience – culturally, and gastronomically. Chef Sherman concurs, “There is a growing openness among fine diners to explore and choose Native American cuisine for a special night out. As people become more interested in diverse culinary experiences and sustainability, they are more willing to try and appreciate the unique offerings of Native American food. We see increasing interest and enthusiasm from diners who are looking for authentic, meaningful culinary experiences.”
Despite the rising awareness, many Indigenous pop-ups, restaurants and kitchens have been quick to shutter down. As a learning curve, a few Indigenous chefs have smartly retained their flavor and ingredients, but incorporated it into more acceptable formats – like tacos, burritos, burgers and sandwiches – to be able to garner more interest.
Giving a boost up to Native American cuisine may take a few more decades. But the seeds are already sown. A James Beard Award winner, Chef Sherman’s NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems) organizes educational events, collaborations with other chefs, and even the federal government to promote Indigenous cuisine. “By sharing our food, its stories, and the history behind it, I hope to spark interest and appreciation in a broader audience,” he says.
If there was a time to start and promote Native American restaurants, it’s now. Diners – especially the Gen Z – are eager to immerse themselves into ‘newer’ cultures and experiences.
