In December of 1837, a detachment of Cherokee people who were removed from their homes east of the Mississippi endured a tragic camp here in Cane Hill on their way to Oklahoma.

The purpose of this ceremony is to dedicate a space onsite at Historic Cane Hill that will hold the experience of these people in memory and to acknowledge their descendants. We will dedicate a memorial interpretive panel explaining the story of those that endured here and recognize their living relatives, all next to a large bur oak tree that bore witness to this moment along the Trail of Tears. This event will take place on Thursday, April 28, at 5:00 p.m. near the large bur oak tree, with a reception to follow at the pavilion adjacent to Cane Hill College along College Road. 

Executive Director of the Trail of Tears Association and Cherokee Nation citizen, Troy Wayne Poteete, will speak about the Cherokee experience on the Trail. Author and Cherokee Nation citizen, Andrea Rogers, will provide a brief reading and talk about her recently published children’s book, Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story. Chef and Cherokee Nation citizen, Nico Albert of Burning Cedar Indigenous Foods, will prepare soft drinks and food for the reception.

For more information, email Public Programs Manager, David Collins, at david@historiccanehillar.org or call our office at 479-824-4455.