Our Vision
rekindle and empower Indigenous food sovereigntyNATIFS works to cultivate the seeds of Indigenous heritage, nourish our people, and honor the land that sustains us.
NATIFS works to cultivate the seeds of Indigenous heritage, nourish our people, and honor the land that sustains us. Our vision is to rekindle and empower Indigenous food sovereignty through a thriving network of regional hubs that celebrate and elevate Indigenous culinary traditions. With a deep commitment to healing, cultural reconnection, and economic empowerment, NATIFS envisions a future where every tribal community across the nation reclaims its food heritage, fosters sustainable local economies, and nurtures the overall well-being of its people.
Guided by Chef Sean Sherman's research and advocacy, and wisdom shared by tribal communities around the world, NATIFS is a beacon of Indigenous food revival and educational support. The non-profit has established a regional hub in Minneapolis, the Indigenous Food Lab, a professional Indigenous kitchen for entrepreneurial endeavors, a classroom and demonstration studio to share knowledge, and the Indigenous Food Lab Market, offering diverse products from Indigenous purveyors. Through these offerings, NATIFS is redefining Indigenous culinary traditions and working to restore knowledge lost due to forced assimilation.
NATIFS is more than a culinary venture; it is a catalyst for change. We recognize the profound impact of Indigenous food opportunities, transcending economic benefits to address food-related health disparities. By offering access to nutrient-rich, culturally relevant foods, we empower communities most affected by these disparities to reclaim their health and wellness.
NATIFS envisions a network of resilient tribal communities, united by the revival of Indigenous food traditions, economic prosperity, and Indigenous health and well-being. Through our collective efforts, ancestral wisdom will flourish anew, fostering a legacy of health, pride, and sustainability for present and future generations.
Indigenous Food Lab
We offer high-quality Indigenous foods and products to our community. We work to broaden access to Native-made goods and allow people to experience contemporary Indigenous offerings while empowering entrepreneurs to expand their markets.
LEARN
Why aren't there more Native American restaurants?
When you think of North American cuisine, do Indigenous foods come to mind? Chef Sean Sherman serves up an essential history lesson that explains the absence of Native American culinary traditions across the continent, highlighting why revitalizing Indigenous education sits at the center of a better diet and healthier relationship with the planet.
Indigenous Food Lab
ROADMAP
PHASE 1
Indigenous LAB
- Urban location
- An Indigenous market and eatery
- A Native foodways classroom
- Research and development to create more curriculum and educational resources
SHOP ONLINE
PHASE 2
REGIONAL ACCESS
Creating regional Indigenous Food access
- Work with tribal communities to help develop satellite Indigenous kitchens
- Make Indigenous foods accessible to areas that need it most
PHASE 3
VISION
North American vision
- Replicate Indigenous Food Lab Centers which creates regional counterpoints for development of Indigenous Food Access and Education
- Develop Tribal Community Indigenous Kitchens everywhere
Indigenous Food Lab is a professional Indigenous kitchen and training center at the heart of our work establishing a new Indigenous food system that reintegrates Native Foods and Indigenous-focused Education into tribal communities across North America. We envision a future of developing and supporting multiple tribally operated kitchens bringing cultural and nutritional revitalization across North America!
The Indigenous Food Lab Market
A kitchen and retail space that offers high-quality Indigenous foods and products to our community. We work to broaden access to Native-made goods and allow people to experience contemporary Indigenous offerings while empowering entrepreneurs to expand their audience.
The IFL Market is a project of NATIFS and aims to promote Indigenous foodways education and facilitate Indigenous food access. We are deeply committed to our community locally, nationally, and globally.
The IFL Market, formerly in the Midtown Global Market, is a first of its kind in Minneapolis, but we are currently moving! As we work to expand NATIFS’ reach, we are now preparing to open Wóyute Thipí (“Food Building”), our new central Indigenous Food Sovereignty hub along the American Indian Cultural Corridor in Minneapolis.The Indigenous Food Lab Market retail space will soon live here. For now, online shopping is available!
