Ron Cooper, a member of the Comanche Nation, spent three months retracing the Trail of Tears, the forced walk made by ancestors of the Cherokee Nation.

Cooper took the northern route of the trail, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri. He said the trip taught him that all tribes have had difficult dealings with the U.S.

"The more I learned about the history, the more I discovered how much all the tribes have in common," Cooper told The Tulsa World. "It may have happened at different times and under different circumstances, but all the tribes have faced hardship and adversity."

Cooper ended his journey yesterday in Oklahoma.

Get the Story:
From Tennessee to Tahlequah, hiker retraces historic Trail of Tears (The Tulsa World 4/21)

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Comanche man almost finished with walk on Trail of Tears (4/20)