THE YEAR 1847 WAS ANย extremely difficultย one for the Irish people. Known as โBlack 47,โ this was the worst year of the famine inย Ireland, where close to one million people were starving to death. Humanitarian aid came from around the world, but theย unexpected generosity of the Choctaw Nation stands out, and began a bond between the two people that continues to this day.
The Choctaw Native Americans raised $170 of their own moneyโequivalent to thousands of dollars todayโ in aid to supply food for the starving Irish. This exemplifies the incredible generosity of the Choctaw people, because just 16 years before, they were forced by U.S. President Andrew Jackson to leave their ancestral lands and march 500 miles on the โTrail of Tears,โ in terrible winter conditions. Many did not survive.
Today, the Irish people are still grateful for the generosity of the Choctaw people. A monument stands in Midletonโs Bailick Park as a tribute to the tribeโs charity during the Great Famine. Named โKindred Spirits,โ the magnificent memorial features nine giant stainless steel feathers, shaped into an empty bowl.
The creator, artist Alex Pentak, explained, โI wanted to show the courage, fragility and humanity that they displayed in my work.โ
Beyond the monument, there are many other examples of the continuedย link between the Irish and Choctaw people. In 1990, several Choctaw leaders took part in the first annual Famine walk at Doolough in County Mayo; two years later, Irish commemoration leaders walked the 500 mile length of the Trail of Tears. A former Irish president is now an honorary Choctaw Chief. Most importantly, both Choctaw and Irish people now work together to provide assistance for people suffering from famine worldwide.
