To commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of New Echota as a State Historic Site, talented and dedicated members of FONE have designed commemorative calendars, posters and tee shirts, and as the community celebrates on Saturday, May 12, 2012, FONE will provide a variety of services for visitors – everything from parking cars, historic building interpretation, and manning the visitor center, to providing funding for publicity, historic demonstrators, musicians, and Cherokee artists.

Sumbitted by Donna Myers

Centuries ago, Native Americans devised the ingenious Three Sisters garden, a method whereby corn, beans and squash plants are grown together in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Tall corn provides stalks for climbing beans, while squash spreads across the ground shading out the weeds. Not only do these plants grow well together, they are said to provide complete nutrition.

On August 13, these three – corn, beans, and squash –provided the basis for the Three Sisters Dinner and Auction, hosted by Friends of New Echota (FONE). "The Three Sisters are symbolic of Cherokee culture, and the success of our inaugural effort supports our intent to make this event an annual fundraiser to benefit educational programming at New Echota State Historic Site," said Donna Myers, President of Friends of New Echota (FONE).