South Dakota has its newest state park in more than four decades. Leaders from two states dedicated Good Earth State Park at Blood Run in the southeastern corner of South Dakota. The new park claims land in both South Dakota and in Iowa; state and tribal leaders celebrate work on the sacred land.
South Dakota’s 13th State Park doesn’t yet have the trimmings of official markers and informational brochures; however, Good Earth State Park at Blood Run boasts breathtaking views of the natural border that runs between Iowa and South Dakota.
"You know, there’s a lot of native trees and we’ll walk down by the river, so that should be very enjoyable," visitor Lyle Terveen says. "[I] hope it’s a little cooler down there."
Terveen was born in South Dakota, as he puts it, "many, many" years ago. The aging man is armed with a walking stick as he prepares to hike a mile-long stretch of trail. Naturalists from nearby Newtown Hills State Park lead a small group across the uneven ground of a makeshift trail at Good Earth. Terveen says people are responsible for preserving the prairie so everyone can experience the environment
"It’s been 40 years since we’ve had a new state park in South Dakota, so I’m glad we’re having another one. It’s a very historic places for the Native people of this area to have a park like this, so I think it’s a great deal," Terveen says.
Smoke from burning sage weaves out of its bowl and curls in the think July air. Wesley Hare, Jr. cleanses himself with the sage ahead of his prayer. He asks the Creator to bless the ground of Good Earth State Park at Blood Run.
"I ask that you watch over it and take care of it for generations yet to come. I ask you bless all the animals, the plant life, everything, the water, everything that is in this park, this land here," Hare, Jr. says.
Good Earth State Park nestles into the southeast corner of South Dakota. Historians find the area along the river is one of the oldest sites where humans lived more than 600 years ago. This land hosts is the largest Oneota cultural site discovered in the upper Midwest.
"Place speaks to our hearts, not just to our minds," Native American elder and educator Wynema Morris says. "Place, wherever we are, we ultimately, as human beings, take the physical surroundings of what we mean by place and ultimately we translate that to the heart."
Morris acknowledges the tangible beauty of the park while imploring visitors to appreciate an emotional connection to the past. Thousands of native people from several tribes lived, worked, and worshipped here.
"Our ancestors made many tracks through here. They come here, and they camped. They stayed here for hundreds of years," Calvin Harlan says.
Harlan is a member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. He’s a former historic preservation officer for the tribe. Harlan says Native Americans collaborated on the sacred site at Blood Run, and its official name is proof.
"I said, why not 'Good Earth'? The term that I spoke, that’s what that means. The translation of that is good earth," Harlan says. "This is good earth here; our ancestors are here. There was no wars here. There was no squabbles; there was no disputes. Like my relative over here said, there’s pipestone underneath this ground. It’s here."
More than 600 acres of land comprise Good Earth State Park. Soil that most recently fed corn stalks is now littered with natural prairie grasses. Naturalists are restoring the cultivated fields to their original glory. They’ve sown 36 kinds of grasses and 18 varieties of South Dakota wild flowers. It'll be years before those plants are well-established.
Good Earth State Park at Blood Run is the first state park to be one cohesive unit that encompasses land across a state line. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad says he’s proud of leaders’ efforts to make this preservation a reality. South Dakota’s Governor Dennis Daugaard stood beside his Great Plains counterpart to dedicate the park just minutes from the state’s biggest city.
"Governor Branstad and I toured this area together. I was just captivated again by this beautiful cultural and ecological gem so close to Sioux Falls," Daugaard says. "Isn’t it amazing that it isn’t fully developed with housing and other developments? That this gem has been preserved and will be preserved now. It’s stunning."
Public money and private donations bought the land at Good Earth State Park. Now fundraisers are working toward amassing enough money for a visitors center and amenities that respect the culture and spirit of the historic grounds.