Curated Cuisine: Sean Sherman on reclaiming Indigenous foods and traditions

Curated Cuisine is a monthly series examining all things edible, from the chefs cooking the food to the writers reviewing the recipes. Meet the people shaping the food industry, both local and national and enjoy a post-show bite inspired by the conversation.

James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Sherman has become one of the foremost voices in the Indigenous food movement, working to reclaim and celebrate the culinary traditions of Native communities across North America. In his cookbook, “Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America,” he explores the richness and diversity of Indigenous cuisines through recipes, history and the stories behind the ingredients and traditions that continue to shape them today. Sherman will join Tamika Francis, founder of Food & Folklore, for a conversation about Indigenous foodways, food sovereignty and the enduring connections between culture, community and the land.

Copies of the cookbook will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith, Sherman will sign and guests will enjoy a bite from the book following the conversation.

About “Turtle Island”

Growing up on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman understood that his people’s food was rich in flavor, heritage and connection to the land. It was in the midst of a successful restaurant career mainly cooking European cuisines that he realized the lack of understanding about Native American foodways — a revelation that sent him on a journey to learn more about how Indigenous communities have preserved and evolved their cuisines through the centuries. Now a leading figure in the Indigenous food movement, he shares in “Turtle Island” the unique and diverse Native foodways of North America through both traditional and modern recipes made with ingredients that have nourished Indigenous peoples physically, spiritually and culturally for generations.

Organized by region, this book delves into the rich culinary landscapes of Turtle Island — as many Indigenous cultures call this continent. Learn to eat with the seasons, consume meat and fish nose-to-tail, focus on plant-forward dishes and discover how to better feed yourself. Alongside delicious recipes like Smoked Bison Ribeye, Wild-Rice Crusted Walleye Cakes, Charred Rainbow Trout with Grilled Ramps, Sweet Potato Soup with Dried Venison and Chile Oil, Sunflower Seed “Risotto” and Sweet Corn Pudding with Woodland Berry Sauce (and so much more), you’ll see the inspiring Indigenous food scene through Sean’s eyes.

Exemplifying how Native foodways can teach us all to connect with the natural world around us, “Turtle Island” features rich narrative histories and spotlights the communities producing, gathering and cooking these foods, including remarkable stories of ingenuity and adaptation that capture the resilience of Indigenous communities.

Ways To Save

WBUR’s Legacy Circle, Murrow Society, Sustainers and Members save $5.00 on tickets to this event. To apply the discount to your ticket purchase online, you’ll need to enter a promo code. You can get your code by emailing membership@wbur.org.

Registrants may be contacted by CitySpace about this or future events.