Groups continue to debate over Trail of Tears route

Controversy about the route used for the Trail of Tears commemoration and motorcycle ride remains unresolved.

The date of the 14th motorcycle ride, which commemorates the forced relocation of American Indians from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma, is Sept. 15. But the date is the only thing about the ride that has been agreed on by two groups claiming leadership of the event.

The controversy can actually trace its roots back to the split of the event's original organizing group, the Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association Inc.

Seven of the 10 original board members left and formed another group, the Trail of Tears Remembrance Association.

Both groups now claim to be organizers of the ride.

For the first time, the event ended in Florence's McFarland Park instead of moving on to Waterloo as it had in previous years. The switch sparked a controversy that became heated at times. A compromise was finally reached, allowing riders to determine if they wanted to continue the ride to Waterloo.

Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association Inc. members voted last week on the ride and issued a statement saying the ride will end this year in Waterloo.

"It's back to how it should be, with it ending in Waterloo," said Waterloo Mayor Jerry McIntyre, who is a member of that group's board. "We had a big crowd last year even though it ended in Florence, but this makes it official and consistent with the history of the Drane/Hood Overland Route of the Trail of Tears."

Patricia Young, the group's secretary, said the integrity of the ride hinges on its consistency with the original route.

"We're all going to have to work together," Young said. "Just because it goes to Waterloo doesn't mean Florence can't be a vital part of the event. It's not like we want to shut Florence out of it."

City officials in Florence tried to avoid the controversy last year by adopting a resolution saying they supported the ride ending in Waterloo.

Committee members representing the other trail-organizing group said, regardless of what their counterparts say, the official ride will end in Florence as it did in 2006.

Bill Cason, who has been instrumental in organizing the ride in past years and established the other association, said he has already laid the groundwork for the ride, and Florence will be the stopping point.

"We go all the way to Oklahoma and Florence is the logical stopping place, but that's not to say people can't go on into Waterloo if they want to," Cason said.

He insists that it was never determined that the ride would, "forever end in Waterloo."

"McFarland is much easier to get into with this amount of people (who participate in the ride)," he said.

Cason said the ride will begin at Riverfront Parkway in Chattanooga.

Young, however, says the ride begins at Ross Landing in Chattanooga.

Local motorcycle riders who participate in the annual ride say both groups seem to have lost focus of the reason for the ride.

"There shouldn't be a squabble, but it's all about the money involved," said F.T. Sanders, of Muscle Shoals. "It's about the American Indians who lost their lives making this terrible journey. It should end in Waterloo, according to the history we're commemorating, but Waterloo isn't equipped to handle that many-people."

Rex Lemley of Florence has ridden in 12 of the 13 previous Trail of Tears rides and plans to do so again this year. He, too, says he's tired of the bickering.

"If people want to stop in Florence, so be it," he said. "Neither of these groups should be dictating where the riders can go."

Lisa Singleton-Rickman can be reached at 740-5735 or lisa.singleton-rickman@timesdaily.com.