Cherokee Nation bikers complete 950-mile ride honoring Trail of Tears

Eighteen cyclists returned home this week after completing the 2025 Remember the Removal Ride, a nearly 1,000-mile journey retracing the Trail of Tears.

The riders, made up of young people from both the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina, spent six months training for the trip.

The ride takes participants across seven states and dozens of historic sites, including mass graves and Bluffs Ferry, where many Cherokee ancestors said goodbye to their homelands for the last time.

“They prepare you physically, but they don’t prepare you mentally… for seeing the mass graves and walking on the trail where your ancestors died,” said Kacy Fishinghawk, one of the participants this year.

Each stop serves as a living classroom, helping riders build not just endurance but cultural understanding.

For many, the most difficult part isn’t the miles, it’s facing the trauma their ancestors endured and leaving with a stronger sense of pride.

“We want to make them feel proud,” Hoskin said. “But we can’t just tell them — we have to create the space for them to express that pride.”

The ride ends with a homecoming celebration, where families line the streets to welcome riders back with cheers and embraces.