“Sioux Chef” Sean Sherman to Close Public Library Conference, April 3

CHICAGO —The Public Library Association (PLA) is pleased to announce that Chef Sean Sherman will deliver the closing keynote at the PLA 2026 Conference. The Closing Session will take place Friday, April 3, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Central at the Minneapolis Convention Center. It also will be live-streamed for PLA Virtual Conference attendees.

A member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Sherman was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. His focus is on the revitalization and evolution of Indigenous foods systems throughout North America. Through his activism and advocacy, Sherman is helping to reclaim and celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Indigenous communities around the world.

Sean has dedicated his career to supporting and promoting Indigenous food systems and Native food sovereignty. His goal is to make Indigenous foods more accessible to as many communities as possible through the non-profit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) and its Indigenous Food Lab, a professional Indigenous kitchen and training center. Working to address the economic and health crises affecting Native communities by re-establishing Native foodways, NATIFS imagines a new North American food system that generates wealth and improves health in Native communities through food-related enterprises.

In 2017, Sean published his first book with author Beth Dooley, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, which received the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2018. In 2021, Sean opened Minnesota’s first full service Indigenous restaurant, Owamni by The Sioux Chef, which received the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in America for 2022. In late 2025, Sherman released his second book with authors Kate Nelson and Kristin Donnelly, Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America.

The PLA 2026 Conference is a three-day event offering over 100 thoughtfully curated educational sessions, awe-inspiring speakers, bestselling authors, networking opportunities, and an exhibits hall with vendors offering the best library products and solutions. The in-person and virtual conference will run from April 1-3, 2026.

About the Public Library Association 

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 9,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders. For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or pla@ala.org.