Welcome to the North Carolina Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association

The Trail of Tears Association (TOTA) is a non-profit organization formed in 1993 to support the development and interpretation of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Designated by Congress in 1987, the National Trail commemorates the forced removal of Cherokee people from their homelands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in the late 1830s. TOTA maintains chapters in each of the nine states containing segments of the Trail.

This website presents the work of TOTA members in North Carolina. Click on the wayside exhibits below to learn about significant sites we have marked and interpreted in recent years. Follow the maps to visit the sites yourself and experience the story of Cherokee struggle, resistance, and perseverance in Western North Carolina.

This website was made possible by a grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership.