MAN WALKS TRAIL OF TEARS TO TRACE CHEROKEE HERITAGE

Robert Humphrey is seeking inspiration for his art and soul this summer as he walks the Trail of Tears from west to east.

The 28-year-old native of Oklahoma City, Okla., has lived in Massachusetts for the last 20 years. He started his trek from Oklahoma City at the end of July.

"Walking west to east is a homecoming in spirit," Humphrey said. "I have the freedom to go home -- something my ancestors couldn't do. I can go back when they couldn't.

Humphrey is part Cherokee, one of the Indian nations that was moved over the trail from the southeastern part of the United States to Oklahoma in 1838-39.

He feels that trek should be remembered.

"I think it should be very significant to all Americans. People who live on the trail often don't know anything about it."

Humphrey made it to Cape Girardeau Wednesday, having entered southwest Missouri from Arkansas several weeks ago. He's been averaging about 35 miles per day. He has accepted only two rides on the trip.

"The majority of Missourians have been fantastic," Humphrey said. He mentioned a father and a son who allowed him to camp in their field.

"Some areas have made me a little nervous," Humphrey said.

He talked about being alone on the road for hours at a time. He mentioned some of the questioning looks that he has received as he walked through various towns carrying his 85-pound pack and a walking stick he calls "Major," named after a member of the Cherokee nation who fought for his independence.

Humphrey has a lot of time to think about his heritage on the trip. He said he wonders how those who walked the trail 155 years ago were able to survive.

Humphrey said he has been fascinated about his native American heritage since childhood. He develops that interest in his work as an artist, he said.

"In my art, I draw all nations -- the Creek, Negroes and Cherokee," Humphrey said. "I don't discriminate against anyone. They were all part of the history of the Trail of Tears."

Humphrey said he misses his wife, Cathy, very much on this sojourn. Married almost three years, she is supportive of his trip and appreciative of his art, he said.

Humphrey said he was planning to stay in Cape Girardeau for a few days. He said it's time to let his feet rest and to see some of the sights including the Trail of Tears Park.

Humphrey plans to head across Illinois along Highway 146. He said there were three areas that were considered part of the Trail of Tears and he is taking the one that is the most accessible to him.

With his trip, Humphrey said he hopes to keep the chapter of history on the Trail of Tears alive. He said he likes talking to people as a break from the many hours of solitude on the road.

"I'm seeing the country," Humphrey said. "I'm meeting a lot of interesting people. I'm finding that this is a beautiful place. I'm also discouraged by the amount of litter along the highways. You have to walk along the road to really see the trash."

Sometimes on the trip, Humphrey said he imagines what it would have been like on the Trail of Tears, when 10,000 to 18,000 people were moving through that area at one time.

"The number isn't so important," Humphrey said. "It's the idea that it was a whole nation being moved, a whole civilization."

As to the end of his trip, Humphrey said he will see the former capital of the Cherokee nation in Georgia. He will finish his trek in Alabama where the Cherokees owned land before being moved to Oklahoma.

Walking the trail has given him some ideas for an art series entitled "On The Trail." He has no timetable to finish the trip.

"I want to focus on the poverty that I've seen," Humphrey said about his art. "There is some horror among the scenes, but there's also a lot of smiling faces in the groups. Many folks don't realize the beauty of this country."