TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Twenty-one cyclists from the 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride arrived in Tahlequah Thursday, finishing their three-week journey that retraced the northern route of the Trail of Tears.
The ride began June 2 in New Echota, Georgia, the former capital of the Cherokee Nation before forced removal to present-day Oklahoma. Cyclists from the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians rode nearly 950 miles through portions of seven states.
(L to R) Front Row: Cherokee Nation Chief of Staff Chuck Hoskin, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Richard Sneed, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker, Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden and Cherokee Nation Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd stand with the 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclists.
The Cherokee Nation held a return ceremony at the tribe’s Cherokee National Peace Pavilion in historic downtown Tahlequah on Thursday, where tribal leaders, friends and family gathered to welcome the returning cyclists.
“These Cherokee men and women have honored our ancestors by riding hundreds and hundreds of miles, from New Echota, Georgia, to the Cherokee Nation capital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma,” said Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “Along the way they have formed new bonds with fellow Cherokees, gained a deeper understanding of what their ancestors endured, and faced their own personal adversities – only to defeat them, because that’s what Cherokees do. I am so proud of the 2019 Remember the Removal cyclists and what they have accomplished.
This year marked the 35th anniversary of the inaugural Remember the Removal Bike Ride, which was held in 1984. In honor of that anniversary and to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the end of the Trail of Tears, governors in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma issued proclamations declaring it “Trail of Tears Remembrance Week” as cyclists made the trek through their respective states. Oklahoma Secretary of Native American Affairs Lisa Billy presented Oklahoma’s proclamation during the return ceremony on behalf of Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.
After the original ride in 1984, the leadership program resumed in 2009. Each year, cyclists learn about Cherokee history, language and culture while gaining a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by their ancestors who walked the Trail of Tears.
Cherokee Immersion students greet teacher assistant and 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride mentor cyclist Marie Eubanks, of Rocky Mountain.
“Coming home was probably one of the most monumental moments of the ride,” said Ashley Hunnicutt, a Cherokee Nation citizen from Tahlequah. “I appreciate home more than I ever have. I was just overwhelmed with gratitude and love and peace to be here. The ride was life-changing. I am a whole new person, and I’m ready to be here to share what I’ve learned with my family and my friends and the people of my community. Hopefully that will empower them to share that with others, and our ancestors’ legacy will continue to live on.”
During the journey from Georgia to Oklahoma, Remember the Removal Bike Ride participants visited historical landmarks that were important to Cherokee people, including Blythe Ferry in Tennessee, which was the last part of the Cherokee homeland walked by Cherokee ancestors before they began their journey into Indian Territory. Cyclists also visited Mantle Rock in Kentucky, which provided shelter to many Cherokees as they waited for safe passage across the frozen Ohio River.
Of the estimated 16,000 Cherokees forced to make the Trail of Tears journey to Indian Territory 180 years ago, around 4,000 died due to exposure to the elements, starvation, and disease.
2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclist Manuel Hernandez, of the Big Y community in North Carolina, is greeted with high-fives after arriving in Tahlequah Thursday.
The 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclists:
Cherokee Nation:
Brooke Bailey, Lost City
Joshua Chavez, Tahlequah
Marie Eubanks, Rocky Mountain
Kayli Gonzales, Welling
Shadow Hardbarger, Marble City
Elizabeth Hummingbird, Peavine
Ashley Hunnicutt, Tahlequah
Destiny Matthews, Watts
Sydnie Pierce, Locust Grove
Steven Shade, Briggs
Kevin Stretch, Fort Gibson
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians:
Tonya Carroll, Birdtown community, N.C.
Dre Crowe, Big Y community, N.C.
Zach Goings, Birdtown community, N.C.
Manuel Hernandez, Big Y community, N.C.
Danielle Murray, Painttown community, N.C.
Keyonna Owle, Birdtown community, N.C.
Micah Swimmer, Painttown community, N.C.
Skye Tafoya, Wolftown community, N.C.
Monica Wildcatt, Wolftown community, N.C.
Blythe Winchester, Wolftown community, N.C.
The 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride is chronicled on Facebook at www.facebook.com/removal.
The 2019 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclists arrived in Tahlequah Thursday after riding 950 miles across seven states to retrace the path of their ancestors on the Trail of Tears.
