The winter of 2013 will mark the 300th-year remembrance of the well-documented Tuscarora exodus from their Carolina homeland following the Tuscarora Wars. It is said within the tradition of the Tuscarora that they once occupied the Great Lakes region before a migration to the Carolinas. The late David Hewitt once told an anthropologist a migration story called "Crossing the Ice," which describes how Tuscarora found themselves in the southern extent of Haudenosaunee territory in the Carolinas. The story of Tuscarora people over the last millennium is one of the greatest testaments to indigenous survival and adaption in the western hemisphere.
In addition to building strong leadership skills and compiling historical knowledge, the Trail Project also has a secondary focus: climate change. Northward migrations of plant and animal species is expected under most climate change scenarios, and the trip from North Carolina to New York provides students with both a historical and a restoration experience: participants can literally "experience" the historical migration of their ancestors and the expected migration of plants and animals due to climate change.
The severe blow at the end of the Tuscarora Wars to the Tuscarora people forced them to abandon "Cohunche", situated at Hencock's town, and migrate toward the territory of the Five Nations. This 1200-mile trek North was not completed all at once nor by the complete decamped Tuscarora. Some Tuscaroras headed North immediately, others sought refuge with local Indian Nations, but the majority of the dispersion North took place in 1713. The factions waywardly found themselves at various points between North Carolina and New York, establishing villages and settlements to support their people along the way, before they all regrouped in New York by the late 1700s.
To remind ourselves and others of the hard work and determination our Tuscarora people endured, in 2013 we will commemorate our return home to the Haudenosaunee with a 300-year anniversary walk recreating the 1200-mile migration to what is now known as New York State. Over the course of many weeks we expect to see our Tuscarora people, our Haudenosaunee brothers and sisters, various supporters and other local Indian Nations to walk, jog and run from North Carolina to Niagara County, New York.
How old will you be in 2013? Leading to 2013, we have plans to arm our youth with education and competency on how to handle a long journey such as this one. some of the skills we plan to teach the students:
As the re-creation is 5 years from now, we still have a bit of time to hammer out the details and make decisions on the correct route, significant stops and sleepovers, and how we are going to fund the event. If you are interested in helping out or would like more information on our progress, please contact the TEP Office.