Over the past several years, Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman, also known as the Sioux Chef, has been working on revitalizing Native foodways through the incorporation of Indigenous ingredients and approaches in food preparation. Growing up on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, Sherman observed and experienced first-hand Native food insecurity in his community as well as a reliance on government-issued pantry staples, including "canned fruit, canned meat, powdered milk, bricks of yellow government-issued cheese, and dry cereals and oats packaged in white cardboard boxes with black block lettering" (NYT). His culinary experience began as a line cook and, having no prior cooking experience, he began exploring the different cuisines offered in restaurants and quickly gained an interest in diverse foodways.
Despite living on a reservation, however, Sherman was introduced to Indigenous foods and ingredients only later on, after a visit to Mexico and his job at the US Forest Service. He immediately recognized the importance of preserving the seeds, foods, and traditions surrounding this foods and ensuring their accessibility to Native communities. Sherman began contacting Native chefs, farmers and seed keepers to better understanding the state of Native foods and the need to reintroduce them into both Native and non-Native diets. He began to focus on the beneficial impact of communal cultivation and consumption of Native foods, as well as the value of educating others about these foodways. Before one can open and appreciate Native restaurants (of which there are very few), it it crucial to educate the public about the origins and uses of Indigenous ingredients. This not only leads to a different perspective of Native presence and tradition by non-Natives, but it also causes a completely new approach to foods and eating. Sherman notes how "The greens typically called weeds that get ripped out of backyards make a delicious salad and can be a bold garnish — think of purslane, or wood sorrel" (NYT).
This is why Chef Sean wanted to create a concept that interweaves education, Indigenous foods, and community inclusion—an Indigenous food lab that works with local farmers to provide fresh ingredients. The Sioux Chef partners are also the founders of the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) that connects Indigenous farmers and communities. These Indigenous food labs will consist of a commercial kitchen, an educational center, and a restaurant. The first is expected to open in Minneapolis once Covid subsides, allowing for continued construction and the reopening of restaurants; in the meantime, Sherman and partnering farmers and tribal communities are working towards reducing food insecurity during the the pandemic by providing the community with hundreds of prepared meals. Sherman has a vision for the Indigenous Food Labs, hoping they can be established in different regions in the US, wondering aloud,
"If a Five Guys Burgers and Fries can open up 200 units in a few years, why can’t we use a similar system, but do it for good and push healthy food out there?"
The creation of the Food Labs not only works to support tribal farmers and communities, but its concept pushes for the education and acknowledgement of Native foodways and colonial cultural erasure, ensuring that visitors have an opportunity to reflect on and reconsider the way in which they engage with and approach foods every day.