Cherokee Ancestors Honored During Annual Remember The Removal Ride

The Hopkinsville Trail of Tears Commemorative Park welcomed more than a dozen bicycle riders Friday morning as a part of the annual Remember the Removal event. The ride allows Cherokee youth to get a glimpse of hardships their ancestors faced when they made the same trek on foot in the 1800s.

Kentucky National Trail of Tears Association President Alice Murphee tells the News Edge the ride began in 1984 with the Cherokee Nation. The ride would not become an annual event until 2009, with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians joining in 2011.

During the stop, Trail of Tears Commission President Jimmy Dossett presented original rider Will Chavez a key to the city of Hopkinsville on behalf of Mayor Carter Hendricks.

Ninth District State Representative Myron Dossett presented the group with a proclamation from Governor Matt Bevin declaring the week of June 2nd as Trail of Tears Remembrance Week. He adds it’s important to remember our nation’s history.

The 11 Cherokee Nation and 10 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians cyclists spent the remainder of the day traveling through downtown Hopkinsville and Princeton. The ride is set to culminate in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on Thursday, June 20.