April 17, 2023 Image Author and award-winning chef Sean Sherman will be MCAD's Spring 2023 Commencement Speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate. A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe of South Dakota, Chef Sherman has been focused on the revitalization and evolution of Indigenous foods systems throughout North America for over 30 years, deepening his understanding of what is needed to showcase Native American cuisine in today's world. Recognized nationally and internationally, Chef Sherman works to educate and make healthy Indigenous foods more accessible through his non-profit organization North American Traditional Indigenous Foods Systems (NATIFS) and the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis. His other innovative business endeavors have included Owamni by The Sioux Chef, Minnesota’s first full-service Indigenous restaurant. Chef Sherman and team received the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook, 2019 James Beard Leadership Award, and 2022 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. He was named one of Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people of 2023.