"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee Nation Looking for Bike Riders

"Trail of Tears
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TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - The Cherokee Nation is looking for a few intrepid bicyclers to participate in an adventurous cross-country event this summer.

During the Remember the Removal Project, a challenging 1,500 mile bike ride, a selected group of Cherokee students will retrace the historic Trail of Tears, riding from Cherokee, N.C. and ending in Tahlequah, Okla., the capitol of the Cherokee Nation. The event is a revitalization of a previous event held in 1983, when 24 people participated in a similar trek.

"This will be a historical event to retrace the steps of our ancestors,” said Baron O’Field, of Cherokee Nation’s Leadership Development Group.

Students who are selected for the project will meet in Tahlequah and drive to Cherokee, N.C. From there, the bike ride begins June 6 and will end by July 4 back in Tahlequah. Bicycles and helmets will be provided for the riders, as well as meals and lodging. The group will camp along the route most nights, with a few nights stay planned in commercial lodging. Riders will need to provide their own clothing and toiletries.

The Trail of Tears of the Cherokees took place over the winter months of 1838 through 1839. An estimated 16,000 Cherokees were forced at gunpoint to remove themselves and their families from their homes, farms and communities. After being held in federal stockades until deep winter, they were subsequently herded on overland and water routes that moved through territories that represent the present-day states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. More than four thousand Cherokees died along the various routes from the harsh conditions of the crossing. Ride organizers of Remember the Removal hope to promote awareness of these significant events as riders re-visit the areas where the journey took place. Other goals of the Remember the Removal bike ride are to help educate Cherokee students about their tribe’s history and the difficulties associated with the Trail of Tears, and to promote the achievements of the modern Cherokee Nation to those along the route.

Applications to participate in the Remember the Removal ride are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is May 1.

To qualify, applicants must be a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and reside within the tribe’s 14-county tribal jurisdiction service area and attend school there. Approximately 40 students, ages 16 to 20, will be selected to participate from the applicant pool. Potential applicants will be asked to provide background and health information, parental consent if under 18 and a brief statement about why they would like to participate in the project. After an initial review, an advisory panel will interview each candidate to determine interest and commitment to this project. Students will need to be in good physical shape and make the commitment to bike for 60 to 70 miles a day for several weeks to meet the goal of the event.

Applications will be available online on the Cherokee Nation web site or by contacting Baron O’Field or Todd Enlow, phone: 918-453-5644.