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Tuscarora Nation welcomes home 7 members from 70-day 1,200-mile journey from North Carolina

by jmaloni

Press release

Tue, May 28th 2013 07:00 am

Greetings from the Tuscarora Nation of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy.

On March 23, seven young adults from the Tuscarora Nation started on a 1,200-mile journey, tracing their ancestor's footsteps from 300 years ago. Starting at Snow Hill, N.C., after a monument dedication to the Tuscarora People, they began canoeing, hiking, biking and running their way home to the Tuscarora Nation in New York.

In 1713, the Tuscarora people faced their last stand at Fort Neyuheru':ke (Neh-yooh-roo-keh) before making their mass departure out of North Carolina. After this long siege, many of the Tuscarora people were lost to slavery and death. At least 2,000 men, women and children lost their lives before and during the 1713 Tuscarora Trail of Tears.

Today, the Tuscarora Nation lives peacefully among the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, located nine miles outside Niagara Falls.

The journey, which took their Tuscarora ancestors of 1713 more than 100 years to travel, will take these young Tuscarora adults 70 days through six states and 250 miles of hiking the Appalachian mountains. During this lofty endeavor, these young adults are sharing the Tuscarora story of their amazing indigenous survival, bringing attention to climate shift and, raising awareness about the need for more "human-powered" movement

The last day of their journey will start at the Tonawanda Seneca Territory near Basom on June 1. They plan to arrive in Sanborn around 2 p.m. to be greeted by many of the Tuscarora Nation people, who will help bring them home the last six miles. Around 3 p.m., at the Tuscarora Nation Boundary on Walmore Road and Route 31, they will be met by the Tuscarora Chiefs, Clanmothers, elders, family and friends to partake in a traditional greeting. The public is welcome to attend. The end of their journey will be at the Tuscarora Nation House, 5226 Walmore Road, Tuscarora Nation Territory, with a potluck dinner and celebration into the evening for their safe arrival home.

For more information, contact the Tuscarora Environment Office at 716-990-0146. More updates on the 2013 Tuscarora Migration Project are available on Facebook and at www.tuscaroramigration.org.

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