New Echota welcomed a group of youths from the Cherokee Nation this weekend, kicking off a 600-mile bicycle ride in remembrance of the Trail of Tears. The youths, mostly from Oklahoma, toured the New Echota State Historic Site near Calhoun and the Chief Vann House near Chatsworth before leaving Saturday morning, which was National Trails Day. The trip will take approximately 23 days, and riders will cover as many as 75 miles in one day.

The Cherokee Nation is sponsoring “Remember the Removal 2010,” the third ride of its kind since 1984. The Trail of Tears Association and the New Echota and Vann House Friends groups hosted the youths during their weekend stay in Georgia.

“This bike ride started 26 years ago, in 1984,” said Todd Enlow, organizer of this year’s event. “It retraced the Trail of Tears with 25 riders, who started in North Carolina.”

They got lost along the way, “which just goes to show how far the Trail of Tears has come in 25 years,” said Enlow.

“And back then there were no GPS devices, no cell phones,” said Enlow. “And the Trail certainly wasn’t marked as clearly as it is today.”

He said the youths who participated last year “learned a tremendous amount” as they pedaled along the Trail of Tears with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith.

“I think they learned a lot about what it means to be a Cherokee,” he said. “Their ancestors faced adversity, but they survived, they adapted, and ultimately they prospered and excelled. We have a rich, strong history.”

He said the Cherokee Nation tries to stress the importance of its history and culture as an alternative to “pop culture.”

“This will outlast any pop culture,” Enlow said.

He called the bike ride an “experience-based learning event” that has the capacity to “teach all the participants about their individual strengths” as they push past “what they thought they could do.”

“These are not professional bicyclists,” said Enlow. “This is a bunch of kids and young adults who want to learn about their history and want to learn about the Trail of Tears.”

This year the route will take the riders through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, Enlow said.

“And we’ll make stops along the way to tell the story,” he said.

“It’s a way to make learning fun,” he said. “But there are also some heavy emotions. Several people cried at several points along the route.”

The riders will leave Tahlequah, Oklahoma on June 2, he said, and start at New Echota June 5, returning home on June 23.

“We will go about 60 miles a day,” he said. “On some long days we may go 80 miles. And then in difficult places like the Cumberland Gap we may go only 35 miles.”

Two rest days are planned, he said.

“The trip can be physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausting,” he said.

Enlow said he would appreciate the support of all the state TOTA chapters during this year’s event.

“I am a learner, not a teacher,” Enlow said. “It’s local experiences that help tell this story. It’s about making that connection with others. Those are the days that meant the most to us.”

The website for the ride is www.remembertheremoval.org.

“The trip has started out awesome!” said bike rider Sierra Carson. “Learning about my ancestors today was truly amazing. I actually felt myself get chill bumps as we walked through various historical sites and cemeteries. It really made me think a lot more about why I am doing this ride.”