Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Trail News Conference Registration Inside President Signs Bill Expanding Trail of Tears INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Those study segments, as well as associated • NPS Superintendent’s Message...... 2 gained 2,845 miles, more than doubling in round-up forts and campgrounds, were size, when President Barack Obama signed added to the existing national historic trail • TOTA President’s Message............. 2 the Omnibus Public Lands Management under the Trail of Tears Documentation Act on March 30. Act, part of the newly-passed Public • Georgia Parks Budget Cut............. 3 Lands Bill. Included are many short trail Only the best-documented routes followed segments from collection forts in Georgia, • Trail on Arkansas Register.............. 3 by Cherokee groups were included when North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee the national historic trail was established to the main trailhead departure points near • TOTA Chapter News............... 4-5, 8 by Congress in 1987. Other potential trail Chattanooga, Tennessee; and the Benge segments were omitted because little was and Bell routes, two primary long-distance • Joint Council Meeting................... 6 known at that time about their historic trails that cross six states. Other additions location and use. A 2007 National Park include numerous water and overland • Trail Calendar................................ 8 Service feasibility study re-examined trail segments used by groups traveling by those routes in light of new information boat along major rivers, along with short • Librarian Presentation in Illinois..... 9 and determined that most are, in fact, “dispersal” routes from the ends of the original, well-documented and important land and river trails to the fi nal settlement • Conference Information.......... 10-11 components of the Trail of Tears. destinations. Twenty-two years after being designated a national historic trail, the Trail of Tears now extends into Georgia, North Carolina and Alabama. This map shows the new routes and segments, along with the original Northern Route and Water Route (in black). Want your newsletter via email instead of through the postal service? If so, email your wishes to [email protected]. Newsletter of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Partnership • June 2009 - Number 14 National Trails System Offce Superintendent’s Message A big congratulations (!) goes out to all the will continue for at least three years. It’s there. We’re glad to also welcome Carol constituents of the Trail of Tears National likely that the precedent established with Ortega to our staff . Carol is our new agree- Historic Trail, especially to those who the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail ments specialist, and if you’re involved in worked so hard for so many years to get the will continue to have a signifi cant impact any cost share or cooperative activities with comprehensive story of the Trail of Tears on the future evolution of the National our offi ce, you’ll have a chance to work and the forced Cherokee Removal recog- Trails System. with Carol. She comes to us from the NPS nized by Congress as part of the National Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Trails In the last superintendent’s message I program, where she did similar work for System. noted some signifi cant changes in the staff - over a decade. With the ing of our offi ce, including the addition of passage of a new historian, Frank Norris, and a tribal Many things are happening along the trail, the Public liaison, Otis Halfmoon. Since then, we have and I know each of the chapters will be Lands Act made additional staffi ng changes. Most highlighting them in the chapter reports. of 2009, importantly, Michael Taylor has moved But, there are two upcoming actions that Congress from manager of the Route 66 Corridor you should be aware of, and I’ll provide expanded Preservation Program, to the trails office more information at the fall conference and the Trail cultural resource specialist. Many of you in the next newsletter. The fi rst is the ex- of Tears have had the opportunity to meet Mike, pected release of the Trail of Tears National Aaron Mahr, Superintendent of the National Trails System - Intermoun- National and he has made an eff ort in recent months Historic Trail interpretive fi lm. Anticipated tain Historic to spend more time on the trail. Among his since the inception of the national historic Trail to over 4,900 miles of trail routes in more notable recent activities was partner- trail, and in the works for the last four nine states (ten if you include Mississippi, ing with the Kentucky Heritage Council years, the fi lm is in post production and will which may hold sections of the Water on the archeological survey of the Mantle be ready for public release sometime this Route on the Mississippi River!). This fi rst- Rock site in preparation for the trail devel- fall or early winter. I expect that the fi lm of-its-kind action—adding routes to an al- opment there. We have also added a new will be made available at no cost to all part- ready existing National Historic Trail—has GIS specialist to our staff . John Cannella ner sites along the trail. The Trails Office already led to similar initiatives on other comes to us from the NPS Flagstaff Group and the Association are also in discussions trails. For example, the Public Lands Act Office. John brings with him an extensive on developing a protocol to facilitate trail also called for an evaluation of over 64 ad- background in GIS and database manage- signing by Association members. The NPS ditional routes on the Oregon, California, ment, and he will be taking a lead role in has set aside a fund with the Association to Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express developing a functional and accessible pay for signing and currently is developing National Historic Trails to determine the resource database that will be available to sign standards for the fund. I expect that feasibility and suitability of making addi- all trail constituents. John is planning to signing using this fund can begin this sum- tions to those trails. This is a job that the attend the Trail of Tears Association confer- mer or fall. More on both of those soon! National Trails Intermountain Region in ence in Alabama this fall, and I hope many Salt Lake City will undertake in the fall, and of you have the opportunity to meet him Aaron Mahr National Trails System Offce Superintendent’s Message Todd Enlow with the Cherokee Nation and months. It is from the Cherokee Nation. It will take myself have just completed a four day trip all due to your place from late June through much of July. in which we traveled almost a thousand hard work and Regrettably, the bikes will not be able to miles retracing the original Northern Route dedication to travel on gravel roads so much of the origi- of the Trail from New Echota in Georgia to the Trail! nal route will not be accessible for their Tahlequah. This was my fi rst time to travel trip. The Trail should, however, receive a the entire route in one trip. I was amazed The purpose great deal of publicity from this bike ride. at all of the work that our members have of the trip Todd and I will be working with you to done in the last few years in locating much was to plan a plan events for all along the bike ride. I am of the original route. It was very gratifying looking forward to attending as many of route for the Jack Baker, President of the Trail to see the signs and interpretation that have Trail of Tears of Tears Association the events as possible. I am sure that the already been placed on the Trail and, even Cherokee youths on the trip will certainly more so, to see the plans for future projects Commemorative Bike Ride by Cherokee appreciate your support. that should be completed in the next few youths (and possibly Chief Chad Smith) Jack D. Baker 2 Trail of Tears National Historic Trail News • June 2009 State of Georgia Cuts Hours, Staff at Three Trail of Tears Historic Sites by Jeff Bishop The Etowah Indian Mounds, New Trail is being expanded into Georgia,” said us with this situation and, most impor- Echota Historic Site and the Chief Vann Jeff Bishop, Georgia chapter president. tantly, to make sure that these priceless House have been hit hard by budget cuts, “Tourism is one of the top industries in sites and the history they represent are here and the Georgia chapter of the Trail of Georgia, and this certainly doesn’t help forever!” Tears Association is urging everyone to foster growth in that industry. The way the speak up on this issue. state government is choosing to go about Some 180 years ago, the government of this is very short-sighted, in my opinion.” Georgia barred Cherokee Indians from “To say they’ve been hit hard is putting meeting in Georgia. it mildly,” said Linda Baker, secretary of “I’m sure you can understand the risk to the Georgia chapter of the Trail of Tears these sites if there is not constant vigilance “That isn’t unlike what they are doing now, Association. “They will be open only three and human protection,” said Baker. closing the site from us,” said Jack Baker, days a week, will not be able to give school a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal tours and the staff at these sites has been The Georgia chapter is urging everyone Council and president of the National Trail gutted.” to contact the Georgia governor’s office of Tears Association.