Reclaiming Indigenous Food With Chef Sean Sherman

In this episode of Writing the West, Sean Sherman — chef, educator, and founder of The Sioux Chef and NATIFS — shares how a childhood on Pine Ridge Reservation shaped his understanding of food, identity, and access. From government commodity rations to award-winning Indigenous cuisine, Sherman traces the journey that led him to strip away colonial ingredients and rebuild regional food systems rooted in Native knowledge. His new book, Turtle Island, is more than a cookbook—it’s a reclamation of history, a celebration of biodiversity, and a blueprint for a healthier, more intentional future grounded in the original flavors of North America.