Decolonized ingredients
Experience the true flavors of North America, featuring foods of Mni Sota Makoce, Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds.
We prioritize purchasing from Indigenous food producers locally and nationally. We have removed colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy. We are proud to present a decolonized dining experience.
OWAMNI restaurant
We prioritize purchasing from Indigenous food producers locally and nationally. We have removed colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy. We are proud to present a decolonized dining experience.
Walk-in seating available at our bar on a first come, first served basis
OWAMNI restaurant
We prioritize purchasing from Indigenous food producers locally and nationally. We have removed colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy. We are proud to present a decolonized dining experience.
Walk-in seating available at our bar on a first come, first served basis
OWAMNI by The Sioux Chef Sean Sherman
MENU
We prioritize purchasing from Indigenous food producers locally and nationally. We have removed colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar and dairy. We are proud to present a decolonized dining experience.
DRINKS
Make ReservationsBEER + WINE
We choose to support and purchase from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and women producers for our alcoholic beverages. We are honored to present a primarily Indigenous- produced wine list featuring selections from native winemakers in California, Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe, and Maori wines from New Zealand. We source and elevate selections crafted by BIPOC producers in a largely non-diverse and privileged industry.
Press
Chef Sean Sherman to Appear on Season 11 of Finding Your Roots
PBS announced Chef Sean Sherman will be featured...
The Best Places to Eat in Oahu, According to ‘The Sioux Chef’ Sean Sherman
By Megan Spurrell | Condé Nast Traveler Welcome...
Indigenous Food Lab ushers in a new era of Native visibility at Minnesota State Fair
By Joy Summers | The Minnesota Star Tribune Chef...
OUR PHILOSOPHY
The Indigenous perspective on the history of America is to acknowledge the centuries of intense violence, dislocation, forced assimilation, segregation and cultural erasure that has happened to our cultures and communities.
We reject the values that have been upheld by settler colonialism, such as the wanton destruction of environment, including mining, logging, and monoculture agriculture, all of which contribute to the enrichment of a select few while our beautiful Indigenous landscapes and the people who have traditionally lived on them are continually abused.
The goal of this restaurant is to showcase modern Indigenous foods. This means that we prioritize purchasing from Indigenous producers first, and build our seasonal menus to reflect region, culture, and Indigenous identities. Our menu reflects the work of our non-profit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)
We have cut out colonial ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, dairy, wheat flour, and cane sugar, instead highlighting true agricultural products of North America, such as corns, beans, squashes, wild game, birds, fish and Native plants. This approach offers a different story of American cooking than the Eurocentric one that is traditionally touted— instead celebrating the amazing Indigenous diversity of Turtle Island.
We hope you enjoy and Thank You for supporting our mission and vision!
STAFF EQUITY, WAGES + SERVICE CHARGE
We aim to operate a sustainable business and provide an above-standard work environment, wages, and benefits for our staff. We include an 13% service charge to support higher wages for our staff. This is not a gratuity pursuant to MN Statute R. 5200.0080. We have left you the opportunity to provide gratuity for your service staff. A combination of both allows us to hire and maintain staff in a competitive labor market.
NATIFS.ORG
Owamni is owned and operated by our non-profit 501c3, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, NATIFS.org. Please visit our website for more information on our work, and find out how you can help us create accessible Indigenous food and education for all.
Pilamayeyelo, Sean Sherman
Founder: NATIFS / Owamni / The Sioux Chef
Owámniyomni
A sacred site of peace and well-being for the Dakota and Anishinaabe people.
Owámniyomni, a Dakota name for “St. Anthony Falls” in Minneapolis, Minnesota, means turbulent water, whirlpool, eddy. To Dakota people the Mississippi River has a few names, one is ȟaȟáwakpá – the river of the falls, a name that reveals the importance of the waterfall, the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River.
The Sioux Chef’s
Indigenous Kitchen
Here is real food—our indigenous American fruits and vegetables, the wild and foraged ingredients, game and fish. Locally sourced, seasonal, “clean” ingredients and nose-to-tail cooking are nothing new to Sean Sherman, the Oglala Lakota chef and founder of The Sioux Chef. In his breakout book, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, Sherman shares his approach to creating boldly seasoned foods that are vibrant, healthful, at once elegant and easy.
James Beard Award-winning cookbook—The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen