18-04-2025
Two local women to travel historic 'Trail of Tears' journey
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Two women from Grove and Vinita are part of a 12-cyclist group to ride in Cherokee Nation's Remember the Removal Bike Ride this June.
By bicycle, the cyclists retrace the famed and historic 950-mile northern route of the Trail of Tears.
Baylee Gregg, 21, Grove, Lexi Melton, 24, Vinita, and the other 10 riders will travel through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma for nearly three weeks.
One rider, Kalina Campos, 25, is from Concord, California.
'Each year we are honored to remember our ancestors' sacrifices on the Trail of Tears through the Remember the Removal Bike Ride. The 12 cyclists will complete a nearly 950-mile journey. Along the way, they will stop at historically significant sites that our ancestors marched through at the end of a bayonet. The physical and mental fortitude of the riders will be tested, but I have full confidence that the riders are ready for the challenge at hand.'
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Other local riders include:
Adriauna Garcia, 19, Tahlequah
Aaron 'AP' Anderson, 17, Bentonville, Arkansas
Baleigh James-Levy, 22, Fort Gibson
Jenny Kliest, 24, Stilwell
Jeremy Hamilton, 47, Tulsa
Kacey Fishinghawk, 22, Tahlequah
Kiyah Holmes, 25, Tahlequah
Mackenzie Teehee, 23, Stilwell
'I'm excited to see the landscape from my bike in a few weeks and connect to the same land my ancestors lived on,' said Aaron Anderson, of Bentonville.
A team from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina will join the Cherokee Nation cyclists. They will start the ride in New Echota, Georgia, the former capital of the Cherokee Nation.
The cyclists will complete an estimated 60 miles daily along the routes used by their Cherokee ancestors, who made the same enduring trek by foot over 180 years ago.
During the bike ride, cyclists will visit several Cherokee gravesites and historic landmarks. Among the sites is Blythe Ferry in Tennessee, on the westernmost edge of the old Cherokee Nation, and Mantle Rock in Kentucky, where Cherokees spent several weeks during the harsh winter of 1838 to 1839 waiting for the Ohio River to thaw and become passable.
Participants were selected based on an essay, in-person interviews, and a physical to ensure they were up for the grueling challenge. As part of their training, the group spent weekends undergoing rigorous physical training and cycling on various routes throughout the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
The cyclists participated in Cherokee language lessons during their weekend trainings and had their family trees mapped out by a professional genealogist. This provided them insight into their ancestral past and connected any family links they might share with one another.
Of the estimated 16,000 Cherokees who were forced to make the journey to Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839, before the state of Oklahoma was imposed, about 4,000 died due to starvation, disease, and exposure to the elements.
'Not only is the ride a solemn tribute to all of those we lost, it's a reminder of our future,' said Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner. 'These 12 riders have proved their strength and commitment to each other since their training began last year. We will continue to pray for their strength while they undertake the ride.'
Highlights and daily outings of the journey, Remember the Removal Bike Ride, will be captured online.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
