Seven Cherokee cyclists from North Carolina are in the midst of a 950-mile bike ride to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, an annual ride commemorating the forced removal of the Cherokee people along the Trail of Tears in 1839. 

“The ‘Remember the Removal’ ride not only marks this important event in our people’s history, it is chance for our youth to learn more about our history,” said Principal Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indidans.

The riders joined 12 members of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, leaving Cherokee June 7 and scheduled to arrive in Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee Nation, June 25. 

Riders were chosen in December and embarked on four months of training starting in February, preparing for the physical aspects of the trip as well as the cultural ones. Riders study leadership skills, Cherokee language and tribal history preceding their departure. Along the route, they’ll stop at historic sites such as graves of those who died along the way, stockades used as prisons and museums, and they’ll document the journey using video diaries. 

“In this way, ride participants become more deeply immersed in our culture and serve as ambassadors of the Eastern Band as they set out across the country,” Hicks said.

Follow the ride at www.facebook.com/removal.ride