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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Marion Berry (D-AR, 1st) announced today that his Trail of Tears Documentation Act passed both houses of Congress and is on its way to the President for signature. The legislation, which he introduced with his colleague Zach Wamp (R-TN), will require the Secretary of the Interior to complete the National Historic Trail of Tears from North Carolina to Oklahoma and preserve the path where 16,000 Cherokee marched to find new land in Indian Territory.
“I am pleased to see my colleagues in Congress committed to completing the story of the Trail of Tears," said Congressman Berry. "Many experts have spent the past twenty years piecing together this important part of our heritage. Now we have a responsibility to preserve this story for generations to come."
When Congress authorized the Trail of Tears in 1987, it only recognized the primary land and primary water route used by many of the Cherokee during their journey west. In the years since 1987, scholars and trail enthusiasts have amassed a significant amount of information identifying additional routes as well as landmarks along the previously designated routes. The Trail of Tears Documentation Act will require the Secretary of the Interior to study these additional trail segments, emigration depots, and land components and incorporate them into the national landmark. Once complete, individuals can travel the entire length of the trail and experience interpretations of that period in American history.
Both of the proposed routes pass through the State of Arkansas. The Bell Route, traveled by John Bell's Treaty Party across Tennessee and Arkansas, heads up the Arkansas River through Little Rock and Fort Smith. The Benge Route, used by Cherokee leader John Benge's detachment, begins in Ft. Payne, Alabama, passing through Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and northern Arkansas, before arriving in Oklahoma.
"A large part of the Trail of Tears runs through the state of Arkansas," said Congressman Berry. "Once the National Park Service recognizes the trail in its entirety, Arkansans will have an opportunity to experience a part of our history first-hand and share the story with others who travel to Arkansas to learn more about the fate of the Cherokee in the 19th century."
Congressman Berry introduced H.R. 3085, the Trail of Tears Documentation Act, in June of 2005. |
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