The Cherokee Nation is hosting a send-off ceremony this Friday for the fourth annual Remember the Removal Ride.

Eleven young tribal members were selected for the 900-plus mile journey. They will retrace a route their ancestors took during the Trail of Tears in 1838-1839.

“It is a leadership event than not only teaches their history but connects them with their ancestry. It also teaches them about the hardships people can and do survive and reach beyond to find their inner strength," LeeAnn Dreadfulwater, the editorial liaison for the Cherokee Nation, told The Oklahoman.

The riders will start in Georgia. They are expected to arrive in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on June 22.

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Cherokee bike riders travel Trail of Tears (The Oklahoman 5/29)