5 THINGS TO KNOW: How to participate in the Choctaw Nation's annual virtual Trail of Tears walk

Derrick James, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·3 min read

Feb. 14—The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma gives information on how people can remember and honor the journey of Choctaw ancestors through the tribe's Third Annual Trail of Tears Virtual Journey.

1 What is the Trail of Tears Virtual Journey and when did it start?

The Trail of Tears Virtual Journey started in 2021 when the Choctaw Nation Healthy Lifestyles Team brainstormed how to get all Choctaw tribal members outside and moving amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. "Giving them the virtual challenge gave a purpose to many of our members," says Doris Winlock, Healthy Lifestyle Coordinator. "They were excited to learn about the journey our ancestors took."

2 Where will this year's route take and how many have participated?

This year's virtual/online route will take participants over 620 miles from Nanih Waiya Mound in Mississippi to Nanih Waiya in Oklahoma through cities such as Memphis, Little Rock, and Fort Smith.

More than 1,000 people joined the challenge last year and 700 completed the journey. "We wanted to make it reasonable for all levels of activity, so the participants were allowed to have teams of three if they wanted," explains Winlock. Participation expanded to 41 states in the U.S. and 3 other countries.

3 How long will participants have to complete the virtual journey?

Participants will have until May 31, 2023, to complete the journey through the Walker Tracker app.

4 How do I download the Walker Tracker app and how does it work?

Download the Walker Tracker app on your mobile phone (App Store or Google Play). The first time using the app, an account will need to be created, even if you had a previous account. Create an account via the app itself or online. To connect to our program (Choctaw Virtual Journey) when registering via the app, enter https://choctawvirtualjourney2023.thrives.app/my-dashboard as your program URL. Next, you will enter your name, email, a username, and a password.

To create a team or join a team, have your first teammate create a team so the other member(s) can choose it while creating their accounts. For this virtual journey, you can have up to three members on a team. If you are joining this journey solo you still need to create a team name.

Participants who walk a daily amount of 14,000 steps or more a day will sign up as solo (team of 1). Those who walk a daily amount of 10,000 sign up as a team of two and those who walk 5,000 or less steps will sign up as a team of 3.

When you get started, the Virtual Trail of Tears Journey will automatically show up on your dashboard. You can take a look at the map of the route, but you will not be able to see the points of interest markers until you reach each point on the route. Once your account is created, you will be able to view instructional documents and videos to finish setting up your account and help tying it to your step tracker of choice.

5 What do a person get for completing the virtual journey?

Those who finish the virtual journey will receive a medal and certificate through the mail.

—Derrick James