18 cyclists complete Remember the Removal Bike Ride in Tahlequah after nearly 1,000-mile journey

By Staff Reports | Photos by Troy Littledeer | @kituwahpunk

The 2025 Remember the Removal Bike Ride ended Friday in Tahlequah as 18 cyclists completed a nearly 1,000-mile route retracing the northern path of the Trail of Tears.

Twelve riders represented the Cherokee Nation and six represented the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The group departed June 2 from New Echota, Georgia — the original Cherokee capital — and traveled through seven states over three weeks, stopping at historic sites connected to the 1838–39 forced removal of Cherokee people from their southeastern homelands. Nearly 4,000 Cherokee died during that winter journey to Indian Territory.

“This ride sends young people to retrace their ancestors’ steps,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “They leave with a deeper sense of knowledge — and pride.”