>> ERIC: CHEF SEAN SHERMAN AND HIS RESTAURANT OWAMNI HAVE HELPED PUT THE TWIN CITIES ON THE CULINARY MAP IN RECENT YEARS, AND NOW HE'S LOOKING TO PUT OWAMNI IN A DIFFERENT PLACE ON THE MAP OF THE TWIN CITIES.

OWAMNI IS MOVING INTO THE RESTAURANT SPACE IN THE HISTORIC GUTHRIE THEATER IN MINNEAPOLIS, WITH AN EXPECTED OPENING DATE SOMETIME NEXT SPRING.

HE ALSO HAS A NEW BOOK OUT CALLED "TURTLE ISLAND: FOODS AND TRADITIONS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA," WHICH IS AS MUCH AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL DEEP DIVE AS IT IS A COOKBOOK.

WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE "THE SIOUX CHEF" HERE IN STUDIO "B" TONIGHT.

ARE YOU TRYING TO SETTLE FEW SCORES IN THIS THING?

>> AS FAR AS WHAT?

>> Eric: QUELL, I MEAN, YOU'VE HAD SOME CRITICS.

>> FOR SURE.

>> Eric: AND I ONDER, IF YOU'RE KIND OF SAYING, HEY, LOOK AT ME NOW?

>> WE JUST KEEP PUTTING FORWARD EVERYTHING.

I FEEL LIKE I KEEP PLANTING SEEDS AND THEY KEEP POPPING UP.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE BOOK?

>> REALLY, IT'S JUST TO BRING AWARENESS TO ALL OF THE INDIGENOUS DIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA.

WE'RE ERASING COLONIAL LINES AND I THINK IT'S REALLY RELEVANT ESPECIALLY TODAY WHEN PEOPLE FROM MEXICO ARE BEING DEHUMANIZES AND IT'S CRAZY JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SPEAKING SPANISH, BUT ENGLISH IS ALSO FOREIGN LANGUAGE ON NORTH AMERICA.

AND SO WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE INDIGENOUS BACKBONE F WHAT IS AMERICAN CULINARY CULTURE AND DIVERSITY.

>> Cathy: WHEN YOU DID THE RESEARCH AND YOU LOOKED AT ALL THESE CULTURES, TELL ME ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES YOU FOUND BETWEEN YOUR LAKOTA CULTURE IN TERMS OF CUISINE AND WHAT YOU FOUND ELSEWHERE.

>> SO MUCH.

SO THE DIVERSITY IS MASSIVE.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ALASKA ALL THE WAY THROUGH MEXICO, THERE'S SO MUCH DIVERSITY.

THERE'S AGRICULTURE, SUCH A LARGE SPACE OF AREA, EVEN INCLUDING WHERE WE ARE.

BUT THERE'S THIS VAST KNOWLEDGE OF WILD PLANTS AND WILD ANIMALS.

SO THERE'S EVERYTHING FROM SEAL AND BEAR AND MOOSE AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS IN THIS BOOK AND SO MUCH PLANT DIVERSITY.

>> Cathy: WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT -- WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PLANT DIVERSITY, WHAT DID YOU FIND THAT REALLY INTRIGUED YOU?

>> I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS REALLY COOL AND LIKE, WE HAD TO GROW SOME OF THESE PIECES BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO -- ESPECIALLY FOR THE PHOTO SHOOTS JUST TO HAVE THEM IN TIME FOR WHEN WE WERE GOING TO BE DOING THIS.

BUT THERE'S SO MUCH ECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY WILD FOODS OF MIX CO, APRIL.

CAN.

ALASKA, WHERE WE ARE.

>> Eric: THERE'S A DOZEN OR SO REGIONS IN NORTH AMERICA THAT YOU TAKE.

>> WE DID 13 REGIONS, BECAUSE ON THE BACK OF A TURTLE SHELL, THERE'S 13 -- IT'S ALSO MOON CALENDARS, THERE'S 13 MOONS.

>> Eric: MINNESOTA IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION.

AND I SUPPOSE, WHAT, WILD RICE IS OUR SIGNATURE?

>> YEAH, WE GOT MAPLE, VENISON, MOOSE, ALL THESE THINGS.

WE'VE HAD CORN CULTURE HERE FOR COUNTLESS GENERATIONS HERE TOO.

SO CORN AND BEANS AND SCWAWR.

AND SO THERE'S SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT AND ALL THE WILD FOODS AROUND US AND IF YOU COME TO OWAMNI, YOU'LL FIND THOSE WILD FLAVORS IN THE RESTAURANT.

>> Cathy: SO I'M NOT A GREAT COOK.

AM I ABLE TO MAKE ANY OF THE RECIPES?

>> ABSOLUTELY, THEY'RE VERY SIMPLE.

A WILD RICE PORRIDGE, AND SOME OF THEM MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING OF TRYING TO FIND A SEAL FOR A SEAL TAR TAR.

>> Eric: YOU'RE HEADED TO THE GUTHRIE WHERE BEFORE EVERY PERFORMANCE, THEY DO A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT ABOUT LAND TAKEN FROM THE NATIVE AMERICANS.

DID THAT COME INTO PLAY HERE?

>> NOT REALLY.

WE JUST HAD A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.

WE WEREN'T LOOKING TO MOVE BECAUSE OUR SPACE IS BEAUTIFUL.

BUT THIS OPENS UP MORE SPACES FOR US BECAUSE IT DOUBLES THE SIZE OF OUR RESTAURANT AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN SOLD UTILITY EVERY NIGHT.

AND THIS IS JUST GOING TO ENABLE US TO FEED FOR ENABLE US TO FEED FO MORE PEOPL.

>> Cathy: YES, THE WAIT LIST IS LONG, WHICH IS GOOD FOR YOU, YOU ARE STILL ON THE RIVER WHICH IS SUPER IMPORTANT.

AND SO FOR FOLKS NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THAT AREA MEANS TO NATIVE CULTURE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

>> YEAH, SO THE RESTAURANT IS NAMED FOR WHERE IT'S AT BECAUSE THE WATERFALL WHICH WAS COOPTED ST.

ANTHONY FALLS WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED, BUT INDIGENOUS EOPLE WERE LIVING THERE FOREVER.

IT MEANS PLACE OF FALLING AND SWIRLING WATER.

AND HE TOOK THE SHORT NAME.

SO WE TOOK BACK THE NAME SPACE OF WHERE IT HAPPENS TO BE IN FRONT OF WHAT USED TO BE THAT WATERFALL.

>> Eric: A PRACTICAL QUESTION.

YOU GOT THEATER GOERS THAT KIND OF WANT TO GRAB AND GO OR HIT AND RUN.

DOES THAT CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF HOW YOU SERVE PEOPLE?

>> WE HAVE A WHOLE PLAN FOR THAT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME BAR FOODS THAT ARE JUST READY TO GO REALLY FAST, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FIXED PRICE MENU WHERE IT CAN MOVE EALLY QUICKLY TOO SO PEOPLE CAN SIT DOWN AND HAVE A DINNER BEFORE THE SHOW.

AND WE'LL HAVE OUR TYPICAL MENU, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE OFFERINGS BECAUSE IT'S JUST A BIGGER KITCHEN, A BIG REMEMBER REMEBIGGER RESTAURANTS.

AND YOU CAN WATCH THE CHEFS WORK.

WE'RE GOING TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT AND INDIGENIZE IT A LITTLE BIT.

>> Cathy: NOW, WHAT'S THE ESSENTIAL DISH THAT A FIRST TIME DINER SHOULD GET?

>> WELL, THE ONE DISH THAT'S BEEN ON THERE FROM DAY ONE HAS ABOUT THE SWEET POTATOES WITH THE MAPLE CHILI OIL.

WE CHANGE THE MENUS EVERY SEASON, AROUND THE SOLSTICES, AND EQUINOXES.

BUT WE'RE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH THE LAST MENU OF THAT LOCATION HERE.

>> Eric: CAN WE PLUG AN EVENT FOR YOU?

>> YES, SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A MASSIVE BOOK LAUNCH SHOW AT THE GUTHRIE ON NOVEMBER 18TH.

WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MUSIC, MY FRIEND JANICE FROM RESERVATION DOGS, FRANCEATION LAMB WHO'S THE EDITOR ON THIS BOOK AND ALSO THE HEALTH OF SPLENDID TABLE AND THE WHOLE TEAM.

TRISH COOK HO'S A LOCAL COMEDIAN AND A WONDERFUL PERSON.

WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME LIVE MUSIC.

I'M GOING TO HAVE A GUITAR IN MY HAND.

AND WE'LL HAVE A V.I.P.

EVENT BEFORE THAT.

OWAMNI'S GOING TO BE HOSTING THE FOOD AND WE'LL HAVE A MEET AND GREET WITH EVERYBODY THAT'S THERE.

>> Eric: TURTLE ISLAND, PERFECT FOR HO