Chief Bill John Baker, in white shirt, and Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden, in blue, held a send-off for the riders in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, today. Photo from Facebook

The Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are once again holding the annual Remember the Removal Ride.

Twelve young members of the Cherokee Nation left Tahlequah, Oklahoma, today for the start of the journey. They will be joined by seven riders from the Eastern Band as they retrace the forced removal of the Cherokee people on the Trail of Tears between 1838 and 1839.

The ride will begin on June 7 in New Echota, Georgia, the Cherokee capital at the time of removal. Participants will travel 950 miles and return to Tahlequah on June 25.

The young Cherokee Nation riders are making their way to the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. Photo from Facebook

“The Remember the Removal project ensures our tribe’s future leaders never forget our past or the sacrifices our ancestors made,” Cherokee Nation Chief Bill John Baker said in a press release.

The cyclists range in age from 16 to 25. Their progress can be followed on Facebook.

“I carry a photo of my third great-grandmother, Sallie Mitilla Harlan, who was only 3 years old when she came over on the Trail of Tears,” participant Charles “Billy” Flint said. “I think about how her earliest memories must be from the trail, and I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like. So I’m carrying her photo because this is the journey she took, and she didn’t have a choice. I had a choice, and I chose to do this ride to honor her and everyone else who was forced on the removal.”

The riders from Cherokee Nation are Flint, Tristan Trumbla, Kayla Davis, Haylee Caviness, Tanner Crow, Shawna Harter, Maggie McKinnis, Wrighter Weavel, Caleb Cox, Alexis Watt, Tennessee Loy and Hailey Seago.

The riders from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are Kelly Murphy, Jake Stephens, Corlee Thomas-Hill, Kevin Tafoya, Darius Thompson, Savannah Hicks and Matt Martens.

“The ‘Remember the Removal’ ride not only marks this important event in our people’s history, it is a chance for our youth to learn more about our history," Eastern Cherokee Chief Michell Hicks told The Smoky Mountain Times.

The schedule for the ride follows:

Send-Off from Oklahoma
June 7 – New Echota to Cleveland, Tennessee

Tennessee
June 8 – Cleveland to Dayton
June 9 – Dayton to Pikeville
June 10 – Pikeville to Woodbury
June 11 – Woodbury to Joelton/Nashville
June 12 – Joelton/Nashville to Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Kentucky
June 13 – Hopkinsville to Metropolis, Illinois

Illinois
June 14 – Metropolis to Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Missouri
June 16 – Cape Girardeau to Farmington
June 17 – Farmington to Steelville
June 18 – Steelville to St. Roberts
June 19 – St. Roberts to Lebanon
June 20 – Lebanon to Springfield
June 22 – Springfield to Cassville
June 23 – Cassville to Springdale, Arkansas

Arkansas
June 24 – Springdale to Stilwell, Oklahoma

Oklahoma
June 25 – Stilwell to Tahlequah

Get the Story:
Tribal cyclists 'Remember the Removal' (The Smoky Mountain Times 6/3)

Related Stories:
Michell Hicks: Remember the Removal Ride helps us look ahead (6/9)
Cherokee riders retrace path of forced removal from homeland (6/4)