- Details
- By Darren Thompson
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) declared today, July 19, Owamni Day. The recognition comes after Owamni–By The Sioux Chef won “Best New Restaurant” by the James Beard Foundation and on the one-year anniversary of the restaurant’s opening on July 19, 2021.
“The accolades we have received in our first year of operations have been astounding,” Owamni Co-Owner Dana Thompson told Native News Online. “As owners, Sean and I are humbled by the way this momentum has propelled our mission to revitalize Indigenous Foods throughout North America! We hope this inspires other Native entrepreneurs to build businesses that feature their own ancestral foods.”
Owamni is located near Owmani Yomni, renamed St. Anthony Falls by Louis Hennepin, a sacred site of peace and well-being for the Dakota and Anishinaabe people, in downtown Minneapolis.
“We could never have imagined all of the recognitions and accomplishments we would receive in our first year at Owamni,” Sean Sherman, Owamni Co-Owner and Chef told Native News Online. “We just truly believed in the mission of showcasing healthy Indigenous foods and being role models for what we believed was possible.”
Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, who also signed the proclamation, presented the proclamation in person to both Dana and Sean. She commented on social media that Minnesota is proud to be the home of Owamni.
The restaurant has a catalog of awards and recognitions from many media outlets, travel organizations and other food industry organizations.
The Proclamation
More Stories Like This
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment IssueAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher