TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (KFOR) – The 2023 Cherokee Nation Remember the Removal Bike Ride participants have begun their journey to Cherokee, North Carolina.

According to the Cherokee Nation, the six participants were wished well during Wednesday morning’s send-off ceremony at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex.

Family, friends and co-workers of the six cyclists shared well-wishes ahead of their weeks-long journey. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
Family, friends and co-workers of the six cyclists shared well-wishes ahead of their weeks-long journey. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
Family, friends and co-workers of the six cyclists shared well-wishes ahead of their weeks-long journey. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
Family, friends and co-workers of the six cyclists shared well-wishes ahead of their weeks-long journey. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.

The six will tag along with five other participants from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians in North Carolina to train before their journey officially starts June 5.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and other Cherokee Nation leaders were in attendance alongside members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation and friends, family and coworkers of the six riders.

“It’s such a proud day to witness the send-off of these six Cherokee women for the incredible journey they’ll be undertaking over the next several weeks. The Remember the Removal Bike Ride reminds us each year of the history of our ancestors who endured some of the worst tragedy in the history of the Cherokee Nation,” Chief Hoskin said.

“But the bike ride also opens such a tremendous opportunity for several Cherokees each year to learn that history and honor the legacy of their ancestors. While accomplishing a life-changing journey across seven states, these six Cherokees will also reflect on how the Cherokee people persevered during the Trail of Tears and in the decades that followed. They are going to lead us in the weeks ahead and in the years to come, and I couldn’t be prouder of each of them.”

The Remember the Removal Bike Ride is about 950 miles long on the northern route of the Trail of Tears, starting in New Echota, Georgia, which used to be the capitol of the Cherokee Nation, and ending on June 17 in Tahlequah, the tribe says. The northern route of the Trail of Tears stretches through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Before the team left, they also met with a professional genealogist to develop their family trees so the riders have insight into their families’ past and as well as find links they might share with each other.

According to the Cherokee Nation, the cyclists include Faith Springwater, 19, of Tahlequah; Amaiya Bearpaw, 22, of Jay; Mattie Berry, 18, of Warner; Kenzie Snell, 19, of Park Hill; Samantha Cavin, 18, of Pryor; and mentor cyclist Libby Neugin, 40, of Tulsa.

The six 2023 Cherokee Nation Remember the Removal Bike Ride participants left for Cherokee, North Carolina, Wednesday morning following a send-off ceremony at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex. From left: Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, Faith Springwater, Kenzie Snell, Samantha Cavin, Libby Neugin, Mattie Berry, Amaiya Bearpaw and Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.
The six 2023 Cherokee Nation Remember the Removal Bike Ride participants left for Cherokee, North Carolina, Wednesday morning following a send-off ceremony at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex. From left: Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, Faith Springwater, Kenzie Snell, Samantha Cavin, Libby Neugin, Mattie Berry, Amaiya Bearpaw and Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. Image courtesy the Cherokee Nation.

“It’s an honor to see these cyclists embark upon this tremendous journey after months of training and studying about our Cherokee ancestors,” Deputy Chief Warner said. “We ask that the Lord watches over each of them as they go on this journey. We pray not only for their safety, but also for their peace and understanding of what our ancestors went through and the perseverance and fight they showed.”

Officials say the riders will visit Cherokee gravesites and historic landmarks including Blythe Ferry in Tennessee and Mantle Rock in Kentucky, both having played major roles in Cherokee Nation history.

The tribe also noted this ride marks the second consecutive year for the team to be made up of all Cherokee women.

For more information regarding the Remember the Removal Bike Ride or to follow along with the journey, visit the Remember the Removal Bike Ride Facebook page.