A Yorkton grandmother has captured national attention by turning her passion for traditional cooking and language into a viral social media presence. Sherry Whitehawk, known to her followers as Grandma Sherry, has built a following of over 235,000 people on TikTok, where she shares Dakota language lessons, cultural stories, and recipes.
The success of her online videos led to the debut of Grandma Sherry’s Kitchen on May 5, 2026. Airing on APTN Languages, the program is the first cooking show of its kind produced in the Dakota language. To prepare for the series, Whitehawk worked with her cousins, who were hired as language coaches, to help her relearn the language she had not spoken since she was a child.
Whitehawk’s path to national recognition began as an adult learner at what was then Parkland College, now Suncrest College. Despite entering the school with only a Grade 9 education, she gained the skills and confidence necessary to pursue a career, ultimately spending years working in the mental health and addictions field. Born in Manitoba as a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and currently registered with the Cote First Nation, she now uses her platform to share Dakota knowledge and preserve her culture for a wider audience.
Building on the momentum of her first series, Whitehawk announced on May 12, 2026, that a second project is already in development. Production for the pilot of this new series is expected to take place later this summer.
