In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was signed in law by U.S. President Andrew Jackson. This began the Trail of Tears that forced many Native American tribes from their lands. The Choctaw people were the first to be relocated in a process where thousands and thousands would die. Those who survived continued to live in poverty.
Across the Atlantic Ocean in 1845, the Irish Potato Famine began. As the potato blight wiped out crops, mass starvation and disease spread across Ireland. Reaching its height in 1847 and lasting until 1849, nearly a million would die in the Great Hunger and millions would emigrate from Ireland.
What links these two events?
Despite their own hardships, the Choctaw people were moved by the stories of the Great Famine in Ireland. Having survived their own Trail of Tears, their hearts opened to these people dying of starvation. While they had very little themselves, they collected money in 1847 to donate to the Irish Famine Relief fund. The exact amount has been lost to history, but the donation was sizable. This began a relationship between the Irish Nation and the Native American Choctaw Nation. This amazing act of generosity from people who gave what they could when they had little to give has not been forgotten. To this day, Choctaw students are invited to study in the universities of Ireland.
Kindred Spirits
In 2017, nine 20-foot stainless steel eagle feather sculptures were installed in County Cork, Ireland, as a commemoration of the 1847 donation by the Choctaw people. The outdoor sculpture is titled, Kindred Spirits, and it represents the connection between these two peoples and a symbol of gratitude and generosity of spirit.
I recently heard this history told by Irish Storyteller, Colin Irwin, as he introduced his song, Kindred Spirits. The words of the song come from his collaboration with Choctaw Storyteller, Tim Tingle.
Kindred Spirits, sung by Irish Storyteller, Colin Irwin
Choctaw Storyteller, Tim Tingle, tells the powerful story of his ancestors in the Trail of Tears
Read the book of essays by Choctaw and Irish writers on the Choctaw-Irish Gift Exchange
