TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Twelve Cherokee Nation cyclists who were part of the 2025 Remember the Removal Bike Ride finished their 950-mile journey on Friday with a homecoming ceremony in the capital city of the Cherokee Nation.
This year marks the 41-year anniversary of the inaugural 1984 ride. During their journey, the cyclists retraced the northern route of the Trail of Tears in honor of their ancestors who were forcefully removed from their homelands in the southeastern United States nearly 190 years ago.
The memorial ride began in New Echota, Georgia, in early June and traveled through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma before being welcomed back at the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion in downtown Tahlequah.
“The return ceremony is one of the most important moments of the year for Cherokees everywhere. This day is a day where we can draw a great deal of strength,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “This program is unique due to the degree which it challenges the participants physically and mentally, and that’s before they even begin the 950-mile journey. Just the preparation is something remarkable to accomplish. Reconnecting with historic sites is vital to remembering the story of our forced removal. I’m filled with a great deal of pride to recognize our riders on their safe return home.”
Over the last three weeks, the cyclists visited many historical sites significant to Cherokee history. An impactful spot for the team was Blythe Ferry, in Tennessee. The river marked the boundary of Cherokee traditional homelands. Other stops included preserved portions of the Trail of Tears at Port Royal, Tennessee, and Mantle Rock, Kentucky, where Cherokees found shelter during a particularly brutal winter while waiting for the Ohio River to thaw.
The ride tests both the physical and mental fortitude of the cyclists as the travel through rain or shine, hills and valleys – occasionally climbing over 3,00 feet in elevation or traveling up to 70 miles in a single day.
“This experience almost didn’t feel real to me until we pulled into the drive,” said cyclist Mackenzie Tehee. “The waterworks started while I was peddling, and I saw all the signs and families out here to celebrate us. I’ll cherish this experience forever.”
Cherokee Nation cyclists included Aaron “AP” Anderson, 17, of Bentonville, Ark.; Kalina Campos, 25, of Concord, Calif.; Stephanie Conduff, 42, of Broken Arrow; Kacey Fishinghawk, 23, of Tahlequah; Adriauna Garcia, 19, of Tahlequah; Baylee Gregg, 21, of Grove; Jeremy Hamilton, 47, of Tulsa; Kiyah Holmes, 25, of Tahlequah; Baleigh James-Levy, 22, of Fort Gibson; Jenny Kliest, 24, of Stilwell; Lexi Melton, 24, of Vinita and Mackenzie Tehee, 23, of Stilwell.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian cyclists from North Carolina included Mary Caley, 42; Nathaniel Cummings-Lambert; Daryl “DD” Martin, 53; Jamy Queen, 31; TW Saunooke, 48; and Freida Saylor, 46.
The cyclists were greeted by hundreds of friends and family from the Cherokee Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians upon their return to Tahlequah Friday.
“Nothing can prepare you for the emotional toll of visiting the sites along the Trail of Tears,” said cyclist Baleigh James-Levy. “The journey was tough, and we trained for months to get ready for it, our ancestors didn’t have that luxury.”
It is estimated that 16,000 Cherokees were removed from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina in the spring of 1838. Nearly 4,000 of them died during the roundup, incarceration and removal.