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• "This really wouldn't come together without the support of so many people. It's very fitting today that we've all come together -- again different people from different walks of life -- just as our Native American ancestors came together from different walks of life, different parts of this country to trade, for commerce, for social, for religious gatherings," Daugaard said.
• The Oneota Indians began occupying the land in the 1500s, and it is believed that the people who lived at Blood Run -- as many as 10,000 at its peak -- controlled the trade of the red stone that was quarried and used by Native American tribes in the Plains to make sacred pipes for ceremonies.
• When the Dakota Sioux took over control of the pipestone, Blood Run was abandoned. Descendants of the original inhabitants are membersof the Omaha and Ponca tribes, both now based in Nebraska.
• Calvin Harlan, a member of the Omaha tribe, was instrumental in developing the name Good Earth for the park. He said the name came to him as he thought about what the site means to the various tribes.
• "This is good earth here. Our ancestors are here. Our ancestors made many tracks through here," Harlan said. "There were no wars here. There were no squabbles. There were no disputes."
• Funding for the park came from both public and private entities. In the future, officials hope to build a visitor's center and add additional hiking trails.
• Branstad said he is excited about possibly creating the joint state park. The Iowa governor was first invited to visit the land back in October.
• "This is all about the history and heritage of these tribes," Branstad said, later adding: "I love history, and I'm so excited to say we're going to do some things to really preserve history."
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