TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Twelve cyclists from the Cherokee Nation are slated to participate in the 2025 Remember the Removal Bike Ride this June, retracing an estimated 950 miles along the northern route of the Trail of Tears by bicycle.
The ride spans from Georgia to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma over nearly three weeks.
“Each year we are honored to remember our ancestors’ sacrifices on the Trail of Tears through the Remember the Removal Bike Ride,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “The 12 cyclists will complete a nearly 950-mile journey. Along the way, they will stop at historically significant sites that our ancestors were 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.”
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.
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.”
Participants were selected based on an essay, as well as in-person interviews and a physical to ensure they are 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 training and workouts have been great," said Kalina Campos, of Colcord, California. "I’m excited to continue learning our language and honor our ancestors who walked.”
The cyclists participated in Cherokee language lessons during their weekend trainings, and had their family trees mapped out by a professional genealogist, providing them insight into their ancestral past as well as connecting any family links they might share with one another.
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, as well as Mantle Rock in Kentucky, where Cherokees spent several weeks during the harsh winter of 1838-1839 waiting for the Ohio River to thaw and become passable.
Aaron “AP” Anderson, of Bentonville, Arkansas, is ready to experience the journey.
“I’m excited to see the landscape from my bike in a few weeks and connect to the same land my ancestors lived on," Anderson said.
The Cherokee Nation cyclists will be joined by a team of cyclists from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. Together, they will start the ride in New Echota, Georgia, a former capital of the Cherokee Nation.
For more information on the Remember the Removal Bike Ride or to follow along during the journey, visit https://www.facebook.com/removal.ride.
The 2025 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclists from the Cherokee Nation include the following:
- Adriauna Garcia, 19, Tahlequah
- Aaron “AP” Anderson, 17, Bentonville, Arkansas
- Baleigh James-Levy, 22, Fort Gibson
- Baylee Gregg, 21, Grove
- Jenny Kliest, 24, Stilwell
- Jeremy Hamilton, 47, Tulsa
- Kacey Fishinghawk, 22, Tahlequah
- Kalina Campos, 25, Concord, California
- Kiyah Holmes, 25, Tahlequah
- Lexi Melton, 24, Vinita
- Mackenzie Teehee, 23, Stilwell
- Stephanie Conduff, 42, Broken Arrow