Food as Medicine

Sean Sherman is a James Beard award winning chef, author, and leader. He is also an educator, activist, and Indigenous food apostle.  The restaurant he founded, Owanmi, was named the James Beard Best New Restaurant in American in 2022 and uses only pre-colonial foods in its offerings.  Recognizing traditional Indigenous diets as both healthy and sustainable, through his non-profit Indigenous Food Lab, Sherman hopes to help grow the availability of regionally based Indigenous food offerings.

Growing the demand of traditional ingredients will help develop local food economies. Native restaurants can provide a source of both healthy food and jobs. Indigenous restaurants naturally showcase a diversity of ingredients and cooking styles as original Native food was defined by what was regionally sustainable giving modern chefs a cornucopia of styles and flavors to draw from. And as Sherman imagines it, there is no need be confined by colonial borders while celebrating the endless possibilities of Indigenous cooking.

In this next video, Sherman discusses how promoting Indigenous foods can help restore natural environments. Returning to regenerative agriculture enriches the soil, enhances ecosystems, and increases biodiversity. This natural diversity provides healthier diets.

Sherman envisions a diverse community of Indigenous food providers who help define regional cultures by the Native peoples who live there as seen in this video.