Over 700 Years in the Making
Jul 13, 2017
Good Earth State Park at Blood Run, South Dakota’s newest state park just southeast of Sioux Falls, is one of the oldest sites of long-term human habitation in the United States. Rebecca Johnson, our special projects coordinator, visited the National Historic Landmark recently to hike the trails. Here are some of her photos.
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Early occupants of the Blood Run village were primarily Oneota Tradition peoples, including Ponca, Omaha, Ioway and Otoe. -
Blood Run is the largest Oneota cultural site discovered so far in the upper Midwest. -
The verdant area was an ideal place for seasonal ceremonies from 1300 - 1700 A.D. due to the abundant wildlife and close proximity to the Big Sioux River. -
Ample tree cover gave protection from the wind. -
Pipestone or catlinite deposits helped make it a significant trading center. -
The high hills and bluffs were an optimal place for indigenous people to pray to the Creator. -
By 1720, Blood Run was abandoned, though it became a place of white settlement in the late 1800s. -
Housing and commercial development eventually covered some of the land, but the core remained with old growth trees and native prairie. -
Good Earth State Park was officially dedicated in 2013. -
Six miles of hiking trails wind through the park’s 650 acres. -
A visitors center was dedicated in May 2017. -
It features an interactive exhibit highlighting the Oneota culture.
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