Sowing Connections Episode 9: Reconnecting Through Food with Sean Sherman
Reconnecting with traditional foods isn’t just about preserving the past. It’s also about building a future where Indigenous food traditions, knowledge, and ingredients are part of everyday life, strengthening communities and creating new opportunities for generations to come.
In this episode of Sowing Connections, chef, author, and Indigenous food advocate Sean Sherman joins Seed Savers Exchange to discuss his work revitalizing Indigenous foodways and creating new opportunities for the future. He shares how reconnecting with traditional ingredients and food knowledge can help strengthen communities, and how his growing network of restaurants, educational programs, and food initiatives is expanding access to Indigenous foods while supporting Native farmers and producers.
The conversation also explores the importance of preserving seed diversity, respecting the cultural histories connected to seeds, and ensuring that traditional varieties remain part of living food systems.
Finally, we introduce ‘Bear Paw’ popcorn, a once-popular heirloom variety that nearly disappeared before dedicated seed savers helped bring it back into gardens.
Listen or watch
Find Episode 9 on our podcast webpage or your favorite listening platform.
Episode chapters
- 00:00 — Opening
- 00:24 — Welcome
- 01:30 — Featured Conversation: Sean Sherman and Mike Bollinger
- 42:46 — Variety Spotlight: ‘Bear Paw’ popcorn
- 47:42 — Closing
About Sean Sherman
Chef Sean Sherman is founder and executive director of the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS) and founder and chief executive officer of The Sioux Chef and Owamni by The Sioux Chef. He currently serves on the Seed Savers Exchange Board of Directors.
A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Sean was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He has dedicated his career to supporting and promoting Indigenous food systems and Native food sovereignty; his goal is to make Indigenous foods more accessible to as many communities as possible through NĀTIFS and its Indigenous Food Lab, a professional Indigenous kitchen and training center. The James Beard Foundation honored him for this work with its 2019 Leadership Award.
In 2017, Sean authored The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen with Beth Dooley; it received the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. In 2021, he opened Minnesota’s first full-service Indigenous restaurant, Owamni by The Sioux Chef; it received the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America in 2022.
Sean Sherman was honored as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023, the same year he received the Julia Child Award for culinary activism and innovation. In 2025, he released his second book, Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America, written with Kate Nelson and Kristin Donnelly.
Learn more
- Learn more about NĀTIFS
- Read Turtle Island
- Read The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen
- Shop the Indigenous Food Lab Market
- Visit Indígena by Owamni
- Visit ŠHOTÁ Indigenous BBQ by Owamni (Coming Soon)
- Find Indigenous Food Lab on YouTube
- Follow Sean Sherman on Instagram
- ‘Bear Paw’ historical photos from Johnson Historical Society
- Shop ‘Bear Paw’ popcorn
- Learn more about Seed Savers Exchange
- Explore thousands of varieties offered through The Exchange
Connect with Seed Savers Exchange
Website · Shop · Instagram · Facebook · YouTube · LinkedIn
Listen to Sowing Connections
Listen on the podcast webpage, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Original theme music by Lissie.