Chef's goal is "native chefs everywhere" as Indigenous food reaches casino kitchens

Select dishes from Indigena by Owamni, including bison meatballs with a berry barbecue sauce, a version of the restaurant's salmon and warrior rub shrimp, will appear on menus at Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley starting Sunday.

Chefs from both casinos are learning recipes and techniques directly from the Indigena team. Lee Garman, culinary director of North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, said the aim is "bringing food dollars back to native people, native producers, and getting this food back to Native people."

That means putting Native producers first, with ingredients ranging from elk and bison to wild rice.

Indigena also has a zero-waste initiative. The kitchen saves as many scraps as it can in a process Garman called upcycling, turning them into spice powders, spice mixes and salts. Garman said it is "absolutely amazing" to see chefs and other restaurant workers "look around and be like, oh, these are the things that are actually possible."

Alan Hudalla, vice president of food and beverage at Grand Casino Mille Lacs, said the casinos want to make sure they are "honoring those traditions and processes" and enhance the experience for guests.

Garman said he hopes this is only the beginning. The goal, he said, is "for there to be native chefs everywhere. In institutional kitchens, in fine dining, in casual dining."

The partnership will be highlighted during Native American Heritage Month, but the vision extends beyond November. Indigena and Grand Casino are working toward a long-term commitment to Indigenous culinary education, sourcing Indigenous ingredients and supporting Native producers.

Owamni, the James Beard Award-winning Indigenous restaurant founded by chef Sean Sherman, announced in January 2025 that it would relocate to the Guthrie Theater, where it is now open to the public.