TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Twelve cyclists from the Cherokee Nation will participate in the 2026 Remember the Removal Bike Ride this June, cycling nearly 950 miles along the northern route of the Trail of Tears.
The riders were officially announced at Monday’s monthly Council of the Cherokee Nation meeting.
Each year, the ride spans from Georgia to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, over nearly three weeks.
“Every year the Cherokee Nation remembers the sacrifice our ancestors made on this perilous journey and we do this through our Remember the Removal Bike Ride,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “The Trail of Tears marks a dark chapter in our history. Our ancestors were forcibly removed at the hands of the United States. Cherokees across the country will be watching our 12 brave riders for the physical and mental challenge they face ahead to retrace these steps.”
The cyclists will complete an average 60 miles per day, along the routes traveled by their Cherokee ancestors, who made the same trek by foot over 180 years ago.
Of the estimated 16,000 Cherokees who were forcibly removed to Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839, about 4,000 died due to starvation, disease and exposure.
“We know that these riders will be ready to push themselves to the limit, and we will be cheering them on the entire way through their physical and spiritual well-being,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner.
Participants of the program are selected based on an essay, as well as in-person interviews, and a physical test to ensure they are up for the demanding challenge. During their training, the group spent weekends since December training and riding across various routes on the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
Jaden Carroll, of Tahlequah, has followed the program for nearly a decade in the hopes of making the journey one day. And Carroll now joins the 2026 team.
“I’ve wanted to be part of the RTR Ride since I was 16, but it wasn’t until later that I truly understood its significance,” said Caroll. “Being selected for the 2026 ride has been both exciting and humbling. This experience has pushed me further than ever before and brought me closer to my heritage in a way I never expected. It’s an opportunity I’m incredibly grateful for.”
The riders also took Cherokee language lessons during their training sessions and had their family trees mapped out by a professional genealogist, providing insight into their ancestral past as well as connecting any family links they might share.
Kristen Mankiller, of Tahlequah, joins the team as a mentor rider. Mentor riders serve as support systems to the team while helping younger riders process the physical and mental toll of the journey.
“Joining the 2026 Remember the Removal Bike Ride team has been one of the hardest and most important things I’ve ever done. Every mile of this training reminds me of the strength and sacrifice of our ancestors,” said Mankiller. “Being a part of RTR helps ensure their story continues for the next seven generations. The schedule pushes me every day and in ways I never expected but the purpose behind it keeps me going. I’m grateful for the support of my teammates, program staff, and family. As a mentor rider, it’s an honor to encourage others and being Cherokee means living our values as we learn, grow, and move forward together.”
During the ride, the cyclists will visit several Cherokee gravesites and historic landmarks.
Taylor Pearce, of Leach, Okla., is following in the footsteps of her grandparents, who served as chaperones on the inaugural 1984 ride. Pearce’s mother also joined her grandparents to help with the ride.
“I’ve always been so proud to know that my family was so involved with this program at the start and I have always wanted to honor that,” said Pearce. “As I’ve gotten older, I have learned more about who I am as a Cherokee woman and the history that I carry with me. When we’re on our training rides, sometimes people honk at us and wave and that support is priceless. It reminds us that we have the support of so many people behind us as we go through this journey.”
Remember the Removal 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, the former capital of the Cherokee Nation.
The 2026 Remember the Removal Bike Ride cyclists from the Cherokee Nation include the following:
- Adrian Gaches, Stilwell, 19
- Adrienne Keene, Tulsa, 40
- Ashley Adair, Wagoner, 24
- Christina Justice, Tahlequah, 50
- Colton Brinsfield, Checotah, 22
- Dugan Gibson, Talala, 20
- Ella Mounce, Stilwell, 22
- Jaden Carroll, Tahlequah, 24
- Jaycee Gideon, Tahlequah, 19
- Kristen Mankiller, Tahlequah, 43
- Taylor Pearce, Leach, 23
- Savannah Slayton, Oklahoma City, 22