Owamni

Owamni by the Sioux Chef
Owamni in daylight
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedJuly 19, 2021 (2021-07-19)
Owner(s)North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)
ChefSean Sherman
Food typeNative American
Street address420 South 1st Street
CityMinneapolis
StateMinnesota
Postal/ZIP Code55401
CountryUnited States
Coordinates44°58′52″N 93°15′37″W / 44.98111°N 93.26028°W / 44.98111; -93.26028
Websiteowamni.com

Owamni by the Sioux Chef, or simply Owamni, is a Native American restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, that overlooks the Mississippi River. Owamni's majority Native American staff serves a menu made from indigenous ingredients such as game meats, corn, and wild plants.[1] The restaurant does not serve ingredients that were introduced to the region by Europeans, including butter, dairy, sugar, black pepper, wheat, chicken, beef, and pork.[2]

As of 2023 the restaurant is run as a not-for-profit.[3]

Description and history

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Owamni opened on July 19, 2021. It is located in Mill Ruins Park, near Saint Anthony Falls. The name Owamni derives from the Dakota name Owámniyomni for St. Anthony Falls, which roughly translates to "place of the falling, swirling water".[4] The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Parks Foundation raised money to honor the indigenous heritage of the falls. They cooperated with architects Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson to build the restaurant Owamni on the second floor of the nineteenth century Columbia flour mill.[5][6] A red neon sign inside the restaurant says, "You Are on Native Land".[7]

The restaurant was originally co-owned by Dana Thompson and Sean Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe who is also the head chef.[8][9] Nearly two-thirds of the 70 staff members are Native American, representing several tribes: Anishinaabe, Mdewakanton and Wahpeton-Sisseton Dakota, Navajo, Northern Cheyenne, and Oglala Lakota.[9] In 2023 the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) acquired the restaurant to be run as a not-for-profit.[3]

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Some of the dishes served include amaranth tostadas with dip made from tepary beans and smoked trout, a crispy cricket seed mix with chili and maple, and bison tartare garnished with wasna and curled crackers made of wild rice and corn's ancestor, teosinte.[10] Also served are sandwiches—arepas heaped with ground elk, sweet potatoes, and pepitas,[11] or, turkey,[12] or, the three sisters: black bean pureé, pickled squash, and corn.[13] Wojabe, a foraged berry sauce traditionally made with chokeberries, tops both sweet desserts and savory dishes.[14][11]

The restaurant "breaks its decolonized rule with beverages" by serving coffee,[7] indigenous wine,[4] and alcohol-free cocktails.[4] Beer comes from breweries owned by women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) individuals.[4]

Reception

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On opening, recognition came from local, national, and international reviewers.[15] Less than one year after opening,[5] Owamni won the James Beard Foundation Award for best new restaurant in 2022.[16][17]

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  • Main dining room in Owamni, with views of the Mississippi River and Pillsbury "A" Mill
    Main dining room in Owamni, with views of the Mississippi River and Pillsbury "A" Mill
  • Food served at Owamni
    Food served at Owamni

References

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  1. ^ Burton, Nylah (October 11, 2021). "With a Menu of Indigenous Ingredients, Owamni Is a Must-Visit Dining Destination". Vogue. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Sioux Chef's new restaurant Owamni makes us think, in a delicious way". Pioneer Press. September 9, 2021. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Thompson, Darren (September 16, 2023). "Sean Sherman's Non-Profit Acquires Award-Winning Owamni Restaurant, Continues Vision to Revitalize Indigenous Food Sovereignty". Native News Online. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "The Sioux Chef's Indigenous restaurant Owamni is now open". kare11.com. July 22, 2021. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Ellis, Stefanie (September 28, 2022). "Owamni: A (r)evolution of indigenous foods". World's Table. BBC. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  6. ^ Nelson, Rick (June 4, 2021). "Sioux Chef Sean Sherman's new Minneapolis restaurant Owamni will blend the past and future". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Kormann, Carolyn (September 12, 2022). "How Owamni Became the Best New Restaurant in the United States". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  8. ^ "Owamni in Mpls wins national James Beard award". MPR News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Decolonized menu at Owamni by the Sioux Chef". Indian Country Today. August 26, 2021. and Goldszal, Clémentine (December 7, 2022). "Thanksgiving: In Minneapolis, Owamni puts indigenous cuisine on the menu". Le Monde. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  10. ^ Chu, Louisa (November 18, 2021). "Owamni by The Sioux Chef boldly reclaims Indigenous food in the Midwest: 'It's an act of resistance that we exist'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Jackson, Anna-Louise (September 14, 2022). "Indigenous American Chefs Are Drawing Crowds, Hoping Funding Follows". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Jackson, Sharyn (August 4, 2021). "Now open: Minneapolis' first full-service Indigenous restaurant, Owamni by the Sioux Chef". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Mendez, Natalia (November 16, 2021). "Owamni Deliciously Decolonizes Your Plate". Racket. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  14. ^ Koenig, Ronnie (November 10, 2022). "Sean Sherman shines a light on Native American traditions with cranberry wojape". Today. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022. and Chan, Delle (August 2, 2021). "The pioneer: how chef Sean Sherman is shining a light on Native American cuisine". National Geographic. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  15. ^ Restaurant of the year, 2021, in Cheng, Jon (December 19, 2021). "Owamni". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022., Fifty favorite restaurants, 2021, "The Restaurant List". The New York Times. October 12, 2021. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2022. and "Artisan & Authenticity" award, 2022, "Awards 2022". La Liste. 2022. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  16. ^ Fabricant, Florence (June 14, 2022). "Mashama Bailey and Owamni Win Top Honors at James Beard Awards". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  17. ^ "The 2022 James Beard Award Winners". James Beard Foundation. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
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