A public forum in May will focus on the history and future of the Blood Run National Historic Landmark.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, at Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort. It will bring together regional experts, tribal leaders, and researchers to share insights on the site’s past and ongoing preservation efforts.
A site with deep history
Blood Run stretches across northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota along the Big Sioux River.
From about 900 A.D. to 1720 A.D., the area was home to a large village and ceremonial center tied to the ancestors of the Omaha, Ponca, Iowa, and Oto-Missouria tribes.
Historians say the site became a major hub, especially between 1500 and 1700, when it served as a key trading center.
Its location made it ideal for settlement. The river provided water and transportation. The land offered fertile soil for agriculture. The area also had abundant game and access to pipestone, a valuable resource for tools and ceremonial items.
Today, visitors can still see parts of that history. The site includes protected burial mounds, village areas, and other cultural features accessible by walking trails.
What the forum will cover
Steve Simons, president of the Friends of Blood Run, says the forum is designed to give the public a clear and approachable look at the site.
(From audio above) — “If you’re interested in the history of northwest Iowa and the Blood Run National Historic Landmark, there’s no charge for the event,” Simons explains. “May thirteenth at the Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort — it will be an informational program about the site.”
Featured Speakers
•Dr. Sebastian Braun, director of the American Indian Studies Program at Iowa State University, will discuss tribal movement in the Midwest between 1500 and 1700, focusing on the Ioway, Omaha, Ponca, and Otoe.
•Randy Teboe, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, will share the story of the Blood Run community, including its size, structure, and cultural significance.
•Dr. Christina Gish Hill, an associate professor at Iowa State, will highlight Native American agricultural innovation and food systems.
•Dr. John Doershuk, Iowa’s state archaeologist at the University of Iowa, will outline the site’s more recent history and preservation efforts, including work connected to Good Earth State Park and the proposed Oneota Archive and Research Center.
Simons says the goal is to connect the past to the present.
(From audio above) — “The program will include speakers, presenters, experts, and they’ll take them through the movement of tribes through the early years,” Simons notes. “What occurred from fifteen hundred to seventeen hundred at the Blood Run site where they lived, traded, and the importance of the agriculture… and what has happened to get us to today.”
Organizers will also discuss current efforts tied to the site, including plans for the proposed Oneota Archive and Research Center.
Event details
•Date: Wednesday, May 13
•Location: Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort, Larchwood
•Doors open: 6:00 p.m.
•Program begins: 7:00 p.m.
The event is free to attend. Organizers ask those planning to go to RSVP by May 4. Email FriendsOfBloodRun@yahoo.com to secure your spot.
