Art In This Present Moment
Raine Cloud Preserves Dakota Art Traditions for Future Generations
Raine Cloud carries on the practices of her ancestors through the art of beadwork and design.
Raine comes from a family of creatives.
As a talented bead worker and artist, she blends her traditional Dakota heritage with contemporary designs. Raine’s passion for beadwork started out as a necessity when she began dancing at Powwows. Her lack of income led Raine to create her own traditional regalia and soon expand to making some for her family.
“My most favorite thing I think that I’ve ever made was the first pair of moccasins for my daughter, because I always dreamed of being a mom,” said Raine.
In addition to beadwork, Raine also uses other traditional Dakota materials such as porcupine quills and deer hide. Lately she has been sharing her learnings with her daughter who has been following in her footsteps making regalia to wear at Powwows, as well as simple skirt designs.
What brings Raine joy is sewing and teaching others the tips and tricks she’s learned along the way.
Raine’s goal is to dedicate all her time to creating. In the future, she wants to design more clothes and eventually a men’s line with Dakota references.
“Everything I make I feel is a part of my culture, my upbringing.”
Raine Cloud
About the Artist
Raine Cloud (she/her) is an artist and bead worker who blends her traditional Dakota heritage with contemporary designs.
Raine was nominated for Art In This Present Moment by Dakota Wicohan, an organization that works to revitalize the Minnesota Dakota language, known as the eastern or D-dialect.
Art In This Present Moment
This project is part of Art in This Present Moment, an initiative of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. We provided grants to three Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations to fund work by BIPOC artists who are changing and challenging dominant narratives through their craft.
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