Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America

by Sean Sherman, Kate Nelson (primary_contributor), Kristin Donnelly (primary_contributor)

Uncover the stories behind the foods that have linked the natural environments, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples across North America for millennia through more than 150 ancestral and modern recipes from three-time James Beard Award–winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman.

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.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, History, Indigenous, Cooking, Native American

416 pages, Hardcover

Published November 11, 2025

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted ambitious cookbook. I recommend if you like a side of anthropology with your food or if you’re a sucker for beautiful layout & photos. I love that the book is divided by region! Each section begins with an overview of the land & a (very brief) history of the tribes that lived there.

This is not a cookbook for those who want 100 low cost recipes. There are a few recipes in each section where you could easily buy the ingredients at any grocery store. There are many recipes where the ingredients can be found in a large city with a wider variety of stores. These sorts of ingredients include elk, rabbit, duck eggs, cactus, a variety of spices (sumac, aichote, culantro etc). There are some recipes where it would be very hard to find the ingredients like iguana, bear, huauzontle but still fascinating to read about.

I’m an avid gardener & this cookbook makes me want to grow as many of the hard to source ingredients as I can. I think it’d be a really cool way to work through this cookbook!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book, Sean Sherman, has forged new paths with indigenous foodways, seeking to bring new life to ingredients used by Native Americans before colonization. These non-colonized ingredients are at the core of the menu for his Owamni Restaurant in Minneapolis, which is where I first learned of his work when writing about Native American restaurants across the U.S. I bought his first cookbook, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, which features modern recipes with non-colonized ingredients. So, you won’t find foods like fry bread here, which represents what natives made with the subsistence ingredients thrust upon them by the U.S. government.

However, Turtle Island could very well be Sherman’s magnum opus. Turtle Island is the name some natives give the world or the northern Americas in their creation myths. Here, Sherman has used the image of a turtle to lay over a map of North America (Turtle Island), dividing it into various regions based on the ingredients available there. Each section of the book corresponds to one of these regions. Not only does he discuss the foods native to each area, but he discusses the history of the people there, including their travails related to colonization. Then, he finishes off with traditional and modern recipes for the area, using non-colonized ingredients.

This book opened my eyes so much concerning the history of colonization. The way it’s portrayed in history, television shows, and literature that depicts the period tend to skew in favor of the colonists. When you look at it from the point of view of people who are being pushed away from the sources of their livelihoods, it looks a lot different than the way it’s often portrayed. Plus, there are pieces of the puzzle that I never saw before. For example, the introduction of horses allowed territorial expansion for indigenous groups but also more competition and raids. I also didn’t realize that the U.S. government started killing off bison to try to solve the “Indian Problem in the West,” encouraging mass slaughter. A group of 16 hunters killed off 2,800 bison in just a few months.

I feel like this is one of the most important books that you’ll ever read. Even if you don’t plan make a single recipe from the book, the history lessons alone are invaluable.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review.

Perfect for lovers of history, anthropology and cooking. Similar in scale to Magnus Nilsson's 'The Nordic Cook Book'.

This is not just a cookbook. Turtle Island is an expertly researched, curated, and explained history of a landscape told through food. The food and recipes explain infrastructures and civilisations ravaged by colonisation.

It's so well written that the prose flows beautifully and is so engaging.

Sherman had made brave choices in the recipes shared, including for seal oil and recipes using seal meat. Whether or not you agree with this is irrelevant, it's a fact that seal, for example, was and remains a vital source of food for many indigenous cultures and therefore to leave it out is to do a disservice to the mission of a book like Turtle Island.

[Charley Rains · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a gorgeous and insightful book! we are so excited to support Sean and can't wait to make the wild rice tamales!

[R.J. Sorrento · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than a cookbook. Sean Sherman shares stories about the tribes and peoples of regions throughout Turtle Island (or what is also known as North America). Landscape, plants, animals, and how to cook the local and seasonal ingredients from each region as well as history about the people who call these places home. A decolonized cookbook with recipes to admire and to try at home.

[Debbie George · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book to browse - filled with recipes and information on the different areas of Turtle Island. A wonderful resource!

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: *Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America* by Sean Sherman, Kate Nelson, Kristin Donnelly

Rating: 5 Stars

I rarely come across a cookbook that is as much a journey through history, culture, and the land as it is a collection of recipes. *Turtle Island* by Sean Sherman is exactly that—an extraordinary exploration of Indigenous foodways across North America that goes far beyond the kitchen.

Sean Sherman, an Oglala Lakota chef raised on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, brings a deeply personal and authentic perspective to this book. After years working in restaurants focused on European cuisines, he realized how little the broader world understood Native American food traditions. This sparked his mission to reconnect with and celebrate the ancestral foods of Indigenous peoples, blending time-honored ingredients with modern culinary techniques.

The book is organized regionally, covering an impressive range of territories from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast, the Arctic tundra to the Mesoamerican highlands. Each chapter opens with an introduction to the natural environment and cultural heritage of the area, setting the stage for recipes that are both traditional and contemporary. Some dishes that stood out to me include Smoked Bison Ribeye, Wild-Rice Crusted Walleye Cakes, and Sweet Corn Pudding with Woodland Berry Sauce—each telling its own story about connection to the land and community.

What I genuinely appreciate is how Sherman’s philosophy shines through: eating seasonally, honoring the whole animal or plant, and fostering a deeper relationship with the food we consume. The book also offers practical tips on sourcing ingredients that may be unfamiliar or rare in typical grocery stores, along with suggestions for substitutions when necessary.

Beyond being a cookbook, *Turtle Island* is a rich tapestry of narratives that reveal the resilience and ingenuity of Indigenous communities. It’s perfect not only for those who love to cook but also for anyone interested in history, anthropology, or cultural traditions.

And I have to mention—the cover itself is absolutely stunning. It’s a beautiful invitation into the world inside.

All in all, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge and flavor. I’m excited to try out some of these recipes and learn more about the diverse food heritage of Turtle Island. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to deepen their appreciation for Indigenous cuisines and the stories they carry.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many cookbooks these days cover authentic Italian food, authentic French food, authentic Japanese food, etc.... But usually when we see "authentic" American food cookbooks they are either hamburger-type fare or some hybrid cuisine influenced by European or even Asian cooking and ingredients. Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America presents the flavors native to Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. The recipes come from a chef who was raised in the Lakota tribe in South Dakota and honed his trade in restaurants in Minneapolis starting in his teens. He applies updated cooking techniques to the indigenous proteins, grains, vegetables, and fruit to give us authentic North American food. The chef introduces himself and guides us through the indigenous pantry to give readers a foundation before sharing his recipes. The recipes are organized regionally into chapters Great Plains: The Wild Foods of the Prairie, Great Lakes: Where Food Grows on Water, Eastern Woodlands: The People of First Light, Southeastern Woodlands and the Bayou, Indian Territory: Oklahoma, Desert Lands: Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico, Mesoamerican Highland and Pacific Coast: Central Mexico, Mesoamerican Rainforest and Gulf Coast: Southern Mexico, Pacific Coast: California and Baja California, Cold Desert: Great Basin and Columbia Plateau, Northwest Coast: Where the Verdant Forest Meets the Sea, Northern Forests: Alaska and Canadian Subarctic, Ice and Tundra: Northern Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. Each chapter begins with an introduction to that region followed by a thoughtful selection many of which are accompanied by lovely photos. Sourcing information for ingredients that you may not find in your local supermarkets is provided and in some cased, more conventionally available substitutes are noted. This book was quite educational to read and I'm excited to try several of the recipes.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

[Elizabeth]

As heard on The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters (841: Celebrating 30 Years: Live from St. Paul!)

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube

This week, it's the final show of our 30th anniversary celebration, recorded from the stage of The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN, where it all began. Francis is joined onstage by some of the best chefs in Minnesota, including American Oglala Lakota Sioux chef, Sean Sherman, Somali-American chef, Jamal Hashi, Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel the winner of the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest and 6-time James Beard Nominee, Diana Moua of Diane's Place to talk about their culinary journeys and the importance of community and culture in food. We’re then joined on stage by a very special guest, Lynne Rossetto Kasper. 

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 16, 2026 (originally aired)

Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews!

Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

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https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/5/dt...

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC via NetGalley.

The introduction to this cookbook explains a lot about the recipes you'll find inside, by outlining the author's approach and intentions. He places deliberate emphasis on using ingredients native to North America, so while introduced species are sometimes included in a recipe here and there (notably, there's a recipe for how to use invasive garlic mustard, clearly described as an invasive), the recipes as written generally use a variety of game meats and native (if you're in North America) plants. Even so, he explains that he intends for the majority of the recipes to be accessible to home cooks: some call for ingredients that may be highly seasonal or difficult to source, but many really do call primarily for ingredients that can be acquired at most American grocery stores and use methods available to a cook in a standard North American kitchen.

The book is arranged by region, which works really well. Again, the author highlights in the introduction that if you live in one of these regions, the recipes in that regional section will likely be more accessible to you--on purpose. I should not have been surprised that this is true, and yet it is: I live in the Great Lakes region, and have a pretty good idea of where I would at least attempt to acquire the overwhelming majority of even the more "unusual" (read: wild-foraged or highly seasonal) ingredients mentioned within that regional section. But in some of the other regions? No idea where I'd find it, or if I even could, aside from going on a trip.

All in all, it's a really interesting mix of recipes, historical context, and an outline of the author's philosophy in putting together the book. I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes, and enjoyed reading.

[Padmajha [PJ] Me and My Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook feels so different from the usual ones I come across. Instead of dividing recipes into appetizers, sweets, savories,etc, it is arranged by regions and communities, which makes it so much more meaningful.
The book begins with detailed instructions on the basics of the cuisine, and each section opens with background information about the land and the people, providing a deeper context for the food.
The recipes themselves are fascinating and filled with flavors I haven’t heard before. Some ingredients are not easy to find but are part of the culture and history of the Indigenous groups the book represents.
The photos are beautiful, and the introductions to each chapter offer valuable history and insight into how the land shaped the food. From the fish-heavy dishes of one region to venison in another, the variety is striking, and the creativity with natural ingredients is inspiring.
Reading this book was an eye-opener, especially since I have little knowledge of North America. It is not just a cookbook but also a story of communities, families, and traditions told through food. The author’s love for his land and people shines through every page. Though I am a vegetarian and won’t be cooking the meat-based recipes, I truly enjoyed reading about the Indigenous produce, their culture, and the unique connection between food and land. The vegetarian recipes are so unique and sound very flavorful.
This is a cookbook to keep, read, and treasure, not just for recipes but also for the histories and experiences it preserves. It fills a gap in modern cookbooks and deserves a place in every home library.

[Cec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGally and Clarkson Potter for this ARC, book is out November 11th 2025

I was so excited to get this book. I saw a piece about Sean and Indigenous cooking and when I saw this ARC I was really hoping I got it. This is going to be my go to house warming or birthday gift to people! I learned so much, I'm Métis so my family is from out East but I live on the West Coast so I was super excited to get recipes from both places but I was really pleasantly surprised on how much Turtle Island (North America) is covered. From all the way out East to Central Plains down to Central and coastal Mexico all the way back up the coast and then even into the Artic. Each area is prefaced by a little history of the area and the people and then recipes to correspond to that area. I think this should be a instant buy for every house hold. So many cookbooks are just like French or Italian or something really basic that can be covered in a lot of places but having a book like this is really imported to help people connect to the land they are on as well as learn about the food that comes from that land as well

[Jifu · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

When I first encountered Sean Sherman's previous publication, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, in my library, I ended up reading it less like a cookbook and more like an educational introduction into the realm of indigenous cooking. Or to be more specific an introduction specifically through the lens of the Dakota-Minnesota region, and loved every page of it. So of course, Turtle Island immediately proved to be a delight for me from the very get-go. This too can be thoroughly enjoyed just the same, because alongside the wide array of recipes, it's packed with history and bountiful information regarding the indigenous culinary cultures of several regions of Turtle Island / North America. Basically, it felt like a whole mini-education served up alongside tasty dishes and gorgeous photos. Just a a pure gem of an experience!

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though listed as a cookbook, (it does have interesting recipes which, unfortunately, call for ingredients that are not necessarily readily available in many areas) I found its historical and cultural portions more interesting. The history portions contain history that is not taught in Elementary, Middle or High Schools, though some history books might mention incidents, mainly from the Euro-centric viewpoint. The sections on food and the intros to recipes provide insights into what was lost or nearly lost as a result of colonialism. The author recounts incidents in his life which make it also a memoir of sorts. I would like to enjoy several of the dishes the author describes and provides recipes for but alas, many of the ingredients are not readily or expensive. Though I have provided several categories but lean toward calling it more US history and culture studies.

[Bridgett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly well designed book that you’ll want to read from front to back.

It’s broken up into 13 regions that showcases the food from local tribal nations and their lands. It spans from the far northern tundra to the mesoamerican rainforest and from coast to coast.

Each section provides a wealth of information that taken together gives a great overview of the shared history and also the diversity of indigenous cultures of Turtle Island.

As far as the recipes, as expected, they are regional specific and also seasonal. They won’t be something you can casually make for dinner tonight. But Sean Sherman does provide suggested substitutions and additional information for preparation.

[Jerrilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turtle Island, published in 2025, is much more than a collection of recipes. Chef Sean Sherman, of Oglala Lakota tribe, who grew up on the Pine Ridge reservation, uses no European derived ingredients-- no wheat flour, dairy, beef, pork or chicken. Purely pre-contact foods are featured: bison, duck, and astounding variety of game as well as native plants, and how to prepare acorn flour, forage dandelion capers, gather wild rice, and much more. More of the book's 415 pages are given to the indigenous peoples of each area of North America: their history, biome, and foods, including effects of colonization and climate change. Each section names people dedicated to preserving traditional foods, traditions and languages, encouraging in this time of intolerance.

[Opal Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating Native American cookbook to be read for its histories, experiences and feelings just as much as its recipes.
I've never been to America, so I have very little knowledge about the continent, and this was such a beautiful eye-opener. As you read you can only feel the love of the author and chef for his land, his family, his community and food. There is so much knowledge in those pages and so many intriguing recipes with flavours I do not know. I'm impatient to try my hand at them.

This is a beautiful object that I hope many will read and enjoy holding in their library and using. I can't say how much I've enjoyed reading it and I will definitely be purchasing it for gifts.

[Dana Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly awesome book! Filled with stories, meals, and complete how-to guide to make these recipes that date back several generations from all over North America. Complete with pictures. And the best part is that even today all the ingredients are still able to be found. I recently had to change my diet completely and this book has opened my eyes to more possible meals to enjoy just as much as before but with the foods I can digest without starving myself or making myself worse. For example corn milk... how to make it and use it in several dishes instead of water or regular milk (especially when I don't like lactose free, oat, goat, or soy milk). Truly one of a kind gem!

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific cookbook and so much more. The ingredients for the various recipes consist of foods eaten by indigenous people before contact with Europeans. The author believes that these foods are so much healthier than the food we eat today. The book is divided by regions. At the beginning of each section the author gives a brief history of the tribes that lived in that region and the types of food they ate. He also tells how the individual tribes were able to sustain themselves while protecting the environment. For example they never took more than they needed. I can hardly wait to try some of these recipes!

[Bibliohiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I enjoyed reading about the various tribes and regional history, such as, Southeastern Woodlands,Pacific Coast, Canada and Mexico. The pictures were gorgeous and the recipes were local to those regions. I do like that there are substitutions for recipes as well. If the foods aren’t local to your area, items will have to be ordered online.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book full of amazing recipes, history and stories. It's organized by region from Southern Mexico to the Northern Forests, Ice and Tundra... and The Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman, of the Owamni restaurant in Minneapolis takes the reader on quite an amazing journey. Photographed beautifully throughout with regional recipes to best use local ingredients this book is quite stunning.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press, as well as Sean Sherman for the ARC!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written with a strong voice who advocates for Indigenous people and returning to a way of thinking about food and cooking that, as he says, happened before colonization. The recipes are accessible to most home cooks, whether they are Indigenous or not. Highly recommend for anyone who loves food and history.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intro sections of this book were very calming and informative to read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the various aspects of each area’s history, food and land and feel they gave a good brief overview of each region. I’m excited to try some of the recipes from this book and will be looking at some of the outside resources mentioned.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is SO important. It is a collection of both foods and various cultural traditions of the indigenous people in North America. The storytelling bits are educational and interesting. That said, many of these recipes have ingredients hard to find where I live (O'ahu) or are not vegetarian (as was their culture) - so it's less about cooking for me and more about learning.

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Perhaps cookbooks don't count for some folks as toward Goodreads goals, but I don't see why not if they're this rich in content about culture, nature, history, and tradition. I learned a lot and fell in love with fresh, simple, sustainable native bounty all over again.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more than a cookbook. I checked it out of the library. Now going to buy it. Packed with interesting history of our indigenous people. His personal story is also very interesting. I want to go to his restaurant.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful cookbook from a superstar chef! A real pleasure to read, I can’t wait to try some recipes.

[Ryen O'Meara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t feel as personally impactful for me as The Sioux Chef, but its reverence, defiance, and celebration of and for indigenousness is undeniable and still stirring.

[Betsy]

recommended in “Sioux Chef” substack post by Sean Sherman about thanksgiving

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

mad respect for this project