Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis’ modern Indigenous restaurant has won one of the highest culinary honors. But it is not the only place that shines a light on Native communities.
At Owamni a James Beard Award-winning Best New Restaurant, Indigenous Ingredients – Trout, Bison, Sweet Potatoes and More – are used to create “decolonized’ menus, where wheat flour and beef is absent. The restaurant is the result of a partnership between Chef Sean Sherman, Oglala, and Dana Thompson who is a descendant from Wahpeton, Sisseton, and Mdewakanton Dakota Tribes.
In Minneapolis, the Midtown Global Market is a former Sears Building that houses businesses representing more than 22 different cultures.
The open-air Four Sisters Farmers Market, held on Thursdays from June to October, also features Indigenous products. The Minnesota History Center, in St. Paul’s neighboring city, has an exhibit “Our home: Native Minnesota”. that explores the thousands of years of Native Minnesota history. – Marnie Hunter