Paul War Cloud

Paul War Cloud (June 18, 1930 – December 17, 1973) was a Sisseton-Wahpeton author and artist. His work depicts Dakota traditions and heritage.

Paul War Cloud
Born	(1930-06-18)June 18, 1930 Sisseton, South Dakota
Died	December 17, 1973(1973-12-17) (aged 43)
Other names	Paul WarCloud Grant

Early life and career

Born on the Lake Traverse Reservation near Sica Hollow,^[1] War Cloud received his high school education from Stephan Mission School in Stephan, South Dakota.^[2] He was self-taught and did not receive a formal art education.

In 1971, War Cloud published the Dakotah Sioux Indian Dictionary, a manual containing over 4,000 words in the Dakota language.^[3] The same year, he was commissioned by South Dakota Governor Richard Kneip for a mural to replace Edwin Blashfield's "Progress of South Dakota," which depicted a woman treading on Native Americans, in the State Capitol.^[4][2][5] War Cloud's mural, titled "Unity through the Great Spirit," was unveiled in 1972.^[6] As of 2025, it is displayed at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.^[2]

After the death of Oblate Father John Pohlen in 1969, War Cloud helped found the Pohlen Cultural Center, a collection of Native American art, where he completed an artist residency.^[7] The center was listed as the Sisseton Carnegie Library on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.^[8]

War Cloud's artworks are on display throughout South Dakota,^[9] including in the Roberts County Courthouse,^[10] the South Dakota Art Museum,^[11] and the Tekakwitha Fine Arts Center in Sisseton.^[1]