Ireland Unveils Commemorative Statue To The Choctaw Nation’s Generosity

Many may not be aware of a connection between Ireland and the Choctaw Nation. Ireland recently unveiled a statue in the country’s Famine Museum to commemorate the kinship. The statue, “The Gift,” bears the inscription, “Commemorating the generous aid provided by the Choctaw Nation during the Great Famine in 1847.”

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History and karma are intertwined for the Choctaw Nation and Ireland in a tale of mutual care. The story began in 1847 in Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation had just completed their journey over the Trail of Tears. The ravaging effects of the relocation did not dampen the spirits of the Choctaw. At the same time, Ireland was mired in the An Gorta Mor, known as the Potato Famine.

Feeling a kindred spirit with their Irish brethren, the Choctaws organized a donation. They raised $170, equivalent to around $5,000 in today’s money. The money was sent to the town of Midleton, located in the County of Cork near Dublin. The people of Midleton never forgot the kind and generous donation.

In 1995, then-Irish President Mary Robinson worked to rekindle that friendship. It took until 2017, but a commemorative statue is now in Midleton to celebrate the gift from so long ago. The statue is in a park in Midleton and bears the appropriate name of “Kindred Spirits.”

In 2018, a visit from Ireland’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar, saw the implementation of a yearly university scholarship. The scholarships allow Choctaw students to study in Ireland. But that wasn’t the end of Ireland’s generosity in repaying the kindness of the Choctaw Nation.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, rising death tolls in the Navaho Nation and the Hopi Reservation were creating a hardship for the tribes. Remembering their gift from the Choctaw Nation, Ireland sent a donation of more than $2 million to the Hopi and Navaho as a way of “paying it forward.” Ireland continues to remember that gift of kinship with the recent statue unveiling at the Famine Museum.

It’s been 177 years since the first collection of donations from the Choctaw Nation to Ireland. This tale of caring that began so long ago continues to flourish. If you get to Ireland, visit the Famine Museum to acknowledge this continuing trend of giving. The Choctaw Nation had little left after their journey along the Trail of Tears. Yet, they found enough to save a community halfway around the world. Although the monetary amount may seem small by today’s standards, the selfless gesture was priceless.

Please share if you enjoyed learning about the ties between Ireland and the Choctaw Nation. We could learn a lot from this continuing kinship between nations.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here.