WHAT:
The Cherokee Nation will host a ceremony for the Cherokee cyclists returning from their journey retracing the northern route of the Trail of Tears through seven states across 950 miles.
WHEN:
Friday, June 21
11 a.m.
WHERE:
Cherokee National Peace Pavilion
177 S. Water Ave.
Tahlequah
WHO:
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner
Council of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation Cabinet
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians officials
2024 Remember the Removal Bike Ride participants
Remember the Removal Bike Ride alumni
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee cyclists who will be completing the 2024 Remember the Removal Bike Ride will be honored in a homecoming ceremony on Friday in the capital city of the Cherokee Nation.
During the trek, cyclists from the Cherokee Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians retraced the northern route of the Trail of Tears in honor of their ancestors who were forcefully removed from their homelands in the southeast more than 180 years ago.
The cyclists began the memorial ride in New Echota, Georgia, and traveled through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. They will officially complete their trip on Friday morning when they return at the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion in downtown Tahlequah.