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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Marion Berry (D-AR, 1st) announced today that the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of his Trail of Tears Documentation Act. The legislation, which he introduced with his colleague Zach Wamp (R-TN), would encourage 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 the U.S. House of Representatives 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 asks 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.
The U.S. Senate is also working to pass legislation identical to Congressman Berry's Trail of Tears Documentation Act. Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK), Bill Frist (R-TN), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced the companion legislation which has already received a favorable endorsement by the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Resources. The committee held a hearing on the measure several months ago and recommended it for passage after listening to testimony from the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
"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. The legislation has 20 co-sponsors representing all eight states along the historic trail. |
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