Lawrenceburg teen riding Trail of Tears on horseback
By Kat Russell, Photojournalist
Kentucky New Era
May 12, 2014
http://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/article_a3c8cb7e-d980-11e3-8237-001a4bcf887a.html
Submitted Photo
For many high school seniors, a post-graduation trip to Europe or someplace tropical with miles of white sandy beaches sounds like just the thing to help shake off the four-year whirlwind that is high school. Lawrenceburg teen Emma Swendsen, 17, however, had a different idea.
Swendsen, who had applied for early graduation last year, said she and her admissions counselors were debating whether she should take some time off to travel or start college at age 17.
“They wanted me to go to Europe,” she said. “They wanted me to see the world. But, it didn’t appeal to me that I wasn’t being encouraged to see America and what history we still have here.”
Swendsen knew she wanted to do something different — something that would make her stand out with colleges. In the end, she decided she wanted to do something that would help bring attention to Native American issues. She decided she would ride the Trail of Tears from start to finish on horseback.
“At that time, the Violence Against Women and Children Act in the National Congress was being argued and vetoed and turned down over Native American women,” she said. “To me, that’s something that we’ve already been through — they’re human; they need the same protection as everybody else.”
Swendsen said a lot of the people she talked to thought it was a crazy idea. Some even tried to talk her out of it, but she would not be swayed.
For the year leading up to her departure, Swendsen pored over maps, tracing viable routes that would ensure she hit as many historical markers as possible. She and her horse also trained by walking an average 15 miles every day.
On April 17, Swendsen, her 12-year-old mustang mix, Flame, and her 11-month-old German shepherd, Rune, set out on their nearly 1,000-mile journey starting from Fort Cass in Charleston, Tenn.
So far, they have averaged of 15 miles a day toward their destination in Tahlequah, Okla.
Along the way, she has been spending her nights in fields, parks and sometimes camping out in the backyards of kind strangers she’s met. Through her Facebook page, “Trails and Tears Through Time,” she has attracted more than 400 followers who have watched her on her journey, reached out to friends in the towns she has passed through and sent her support and encouragement to keep going.
Last week, on May 4 — about 220 miles into her ride — Swendsen made it to the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park here in Hopkinsville.
“It’s been really hard,” she said. “I think I’ve ended every night with a phone call home that says, ‘Mommy come get me, but don’t really.’ But we both know that I won’t stop until I get there.”
The biggest challenge, she said, has been being away from home and from her family, especially her sister, Lexie, 3.
“I told my mom before I left, ‘I’m four hooves ahead of the people who walked this trail before me, but I’m six family members behind,’ because it was cruel what the (Native Americans) went through, but they went through it together and I don’t have that. While my family is supporting me, I don’t have them here and that’s honestly been the hardest is being out here by myself.”
Traveling on horseback, Swendsen said, has also allowed her to take a closer look at the land and pick up on details she said she would have missed had she decided to make the journey by car.
For the most part, Swendsen continued, the highlight of her trip so far has been the people.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people … ” she said. “There have been a couple of places where I’ve gotten kicked out or I didn’t have a place to stay and something has always come along and that’s kind of the most amazing thing to me because I started this trip knowing I would have to rely on there being more good in the world than bad but still a little doubtful, and I’ve had so many guardian angels along the way.”
Strangers have given her places to stay or brought her food, and, when storms hit a couple weeks ago, a woman called a nearby stable and got them to pick Swendsen, the dog and her horse up and lodge them for two nights.
On that day in the local park, Swendsen said she planned to leave the following morning to head to Princeton. The next morning, however, came with a whole new set of complications.
As Flame, her horse, was grazing that morning, he tangled his back right leg in his lead rope, which cut him deeply just above the hoof. Unsure about proceeding with the ride, Swendsen made several phone calls before deciding it was too risky to push the animal to keep going. She opted to have a friend come pick them up and take them home to Lawrenceburg for a week so the horse could heal and they could rest.
“Emotionally, it’s a hard decision,” she said. “It’s going to be hard coming back out here after spending a week at home in my own bed, but it’s the best decision for him. Morally I can’t push him to keep going.”
Swendsen said this is not the end of her ride. She will finish it, just not in the amount of time she had originally planned. She said she hopes after a week of rest, her horse will be ready to pick up where they left off.
She plans to return to Hopkinsville on Wednesday and resume her ride Thursday.
Reach Kat Russell at 270-887-3241 or krussell@kentuckynewera.com.
Swendsen, who had applied for early graduation last year, said she and her admissions counselors were debating whether she should take some time off to travel or start college at age 17.
“They wanted me to go to Europe,” she said. “They wanted me to see the world. But, it didn’t appeal to me that I wasn’t being encouraged to see America and what history we still have here.”
Swendsen knew she wanted to do something different — something that would make her stand out with colleges. In the end, she decided she wanted to do something that would help bring attention to Native American issues. She decided she would ride the Trail of Tears from start to finish on horseback.
“At that time, the Violence Against Women and Children Act in the National Congress was being argued and vetoed and turned down over Native American women,” she said. “To me, that’s something that we’ve already been through — they’re human; they need the same protection as everybody else.”
Swendsen said a lot of the people she talked to thought it was a crazy idea. Some even tried to talk her out of it, but she would not be swayed.
For the year leading up to her departure, Swendsen pored over maps, tracing viable routes that would ensure she hit as many historical markers as possible. She and her horse also trained by walking an average 15 miles every day.
On April 17, Swendsen, her 12-year-old mustang mix, Flame, and her 11-month-old German shepherd, Rune, set out on their nearly 1,000-mile journey starting from Fort Cass in Charleston, Tenn.
So far, they have averaged of 15 miles a day toward their destination in Tahlequah, Okla.
Along the way, she has been spending her nights in fields, parks and sometimes camping out in the backyards of kind strangers she’s met. Through her Facebook page, “Trails and Tears Through Time,” she has attracted more than 400 followers who have watched her on her journey, reached out to friends in the towns she has passed through and sent her support and encouragement to keep going.
Last week, on May 4 — about 220 miles into her ride — Swendsen made it to the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park here in Hopkinsville.
“It’s been really hard,” she said. “I think I’ve ended every night with a phone call home that says, ‘Mommy come get me, but don’t really.’ But we both know that I won’t stop until I get there.”
The biggest challenge, she said, has been being away from home and from her family, especially her sister, Lexie, 3.
“I told my mom before I left, ‘I’m four hooves ahead of the people who walked this trail before me, but I’m six family members behind,’ because it was cruel what the (Native Americans) went through, but they went through it together and I don’t have that. While my family is supporting me, I don’t have them here and that’s honestly been the hardest is being out here by myself.”
Traveling on horseback, Swendsen said, has also allowed her to take a closer look at the land and pick up on details she said she would have missed had she decided to make the journey by car.
For the most part, Swendsen continued, the highlight of her trip so far has been the people.
“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people … ” she said. “There have been a couple of places where I’ve gotten kicked out or I didn’t have a place to stay and something has always come along and that’s kind of the most amazing thing to me because I started this trip knowing I would have to rely on there being more good in the world than bad but still a little doubtful, and I’ve had so many guardian angels along the way.”
Strangers have given her places to stay or brought her food, and, when storms hit a couple weeks ago, a woman called a nearby stable and got them to pick Swendsen, the dog and her horse up and lodge them for two nights.
On that day in the local park, Swendsen said she planned to leave the following morning to head to Princeton. The next morning, however, came with a whole new set of complications.
As Flame, her horse, was grazing that morning, he tangled his back right leg in his lead rope, which cut him deeply just above the hoof. Unsure about proceeding with the ride, Swendsen made several phone calls before deciding it was too risky to push the animal to keep going. She opted to have a friend come pick them up and take them home to Lawrenceburg for a week so the horse could heal and they could rest.
“Emotionally, it’s a hard decision,” she said. “It’s going to be hard coming back out here after spending a week at home in my own bed, but it’s the best decision for him. Morally I can’t push him to keep going.”
Swendsen said this is not the end of her ride. She will finish it, just not in the amount of time she had originally planned. She said she hopes after a week of rest, her horse will be ready to pick up where they left off.
She plans to return to Hopkinsville on Wednesday and resume her ride Thursday.
Reach Kat Russell at 270-887-3241 or krussell@kentuckynewera.com.
