In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, New Echota State Historic Site and the Friends of New Echota invite the public out for Cherokee Heritage Day on Saturday, November 1st, 2025, from 10a.m.-4p.m.

Park staff, Friends of New Echota volunteers and visiting Cherokee artists will highlight the program with early 19th century crafts demonstrations including basket making, beading work, storytelling, finger weaving, printing press demonstrations, rivercane blowgun demonstrations and staff demonstrations and guided tours of the historic grounds and buildings. Featured artist demonstrators include Nancy Loriot, Cheryl Wolfinger, Lianna Costantino and Nancy Pheasant.

The Cherokee Language Repertory Choir will be part of the day’s activities and Calhoun Boy Scout Troop 22 will be cooking and serving lunch foods and snacks for sale as a Troop fundraising activity.

Sponsored by Friends of New Echota State Historic Site, Georgia Chapter Trail of Tears Association, American Dakota Rugs and Gordon County Historical Society, New Echota’s Native American Heritage Month program this year is held to honor the history, culture, and contributions of the Cherokee people.

Also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, it is a time to educate the public about the challenges faced by Native Americans and to celebrate the diverse cultures and history of the nation’s first peoples.

Dr. Arthur C. Parker was one of the first supporters of having an American Indian Day. He was a Seneca Indian and the director of the Museum of Arts and Science in Rochester, New York. He was also the one to convince the Boy Scouts of America to create a day for Native American culture recognition and celebration— the Boy Scouts adopted this themed day for three days.

In 1915, a plan concerning American Indian Day was formally approved in the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting. The president of the American Indian Association, Rev. Sherman Coolidge, called upon the country to observe this day.

National American Indian Day was declared in May 1916.

In 1990, a joint resolution was approved by George H.W. Bush, which called for November to be named National Native American Heritage Month.

New Echota State Historic Site is a designated National Historic Landmark, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a certified site on the National Trail of Tears Historic Trail.

Located north of Calhoun, Georgia on State Highway 225, the site is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9a.m.-5p.m. and Sunday, 1p.m.-5p.m. (April-November). For information, visit gastateparks.org/newechota or call (706)-624-1321.

Regular admission price $6-$8 (5 and under free) will be required for this special program.