DECATUR – The rumble of hundreds of motorcycles will echo across North Alabama to commemorate a tragic chapter in American history.
Motorcyclists from across the Southeast will ride to honor Native American Indians who were forced from their homes in a “Trail of Tears” from Chattanooga to northwest Alabama.
The 31st annual Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride, set for Sept. 21, travels from Bridgeport in northeastern Alabama to the northwestern town of Waterloo. There is a kick-off rally and a three-day Indian Festival for the public.
The ride begins at the Alabama/Tennessee state line on U.S. 72 in downtown Bridgeport with riders departing at 8 a.m. They will travel west to Interstate 565 in Huntsville and arrive at Redstone Harley-Davidson about 10:30 a.m. for an official ride rest and lunch stop.
The riders return to the highway at noon, heading west and arriving in Waterloo at approximately 2:30 p.m.
A kick-off rally offering children’s activities, live music, a street dance, fireworks show and other free family fun for the public to enjoy is scheduled Sept. 20 in downtown Bridgeport. Bikes will arrive from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Reservation at 3 p.m. and the official opening ceremony gets underway at 5 p.m. Music begins at 6 p.m. with Bottom Holler Band and slated to perform for the special 31st anniversary is Benny Carl and the Loose Lips Band from Nashville who will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. following the fireworks show.
The town of Waterloo will host a free Indian Festival Sept. 20-22 in remembrance of all those who walked the Trail of Tears. Presented by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, the three-day event offers displays from Native American artisans and vendors along with a memorial walk to honor those who experienced the forced journey scheduled at 10 a.m., Sept. 21 with live music following that night. Admission is free. Vendor spots are available by contacting Waterloo Town Hall 256-764-3237 or email [email protected]
The ride is held rain or shine. For more information including a schedule of events, visit https://www.al-tn-
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 called for the voluntary or forcible removal of all Indians from the eastern United States to the state of Oklahoma. May of 1838 marked the deadline for voluntary native removal, and so began the Cherokee “Trail of Tears,” one of the darkest episodes in relations between the United States and Native Americans.
In 1838, the U.S. government hired wagon master J.C.S. Hood to transport Native Americans by foot and wagon from Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga to what is now Waterloo. Much of the journey followed what is now U.S. 72.
Hundreds of Native Americans died in Waterloo and others escaped into the hills and today, area residents can trace their Native American ancestry to those who fled. As many as 4,000 deaths occurred because of this forced removal of civilized Native Americans from their rightful homes.
In recognition of this, the first Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride was organized in 1994 with approximately 100 riders participating.
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