The story of the Choctaw nation’s act of generosity to Irish people stands as one of the few bright redemptive stories of the Great Famine. The gesture opened a channel of enduring friendship between the two peoples which was on Friday was marked by a sculpture unveiled by Minister of State for Tourism, Thomas Byrne and Gary Batton, tribal leader of the Choctaw Nation.
The eight-foot tall Eternal Heart sculpture, created by Choctaw nation tribal member Samuel Stitt, was unveiled at the Choctaw Capitol Grounds in Tuskahoma, about 170 miles east of Oklahoma City. The sculpture was a joint commission, funded by the Government of Ireland and the Chahta Foundation.
The art work combines a Celtic trinity shape intertwined with a heart and is placed facing Ireland. Minister Thomas Byrne told the gathering that the occasion gave both the Irish and Choctaw an opportunity “to reflect on the tragic events of our past and to remember the remarkable humanitarian efforts that forged the bonds of friendship between our nations”.
“Ireland’s history of famine has left us as a nation with empathy for those around the world that continue to face hardship and suffering and that is why ending hunger is one of the core priorities at the heart of Ireland’s international engagement.”
In 1847, the Choctaw people, having heard about the Famine, managed to contribute $170, the equivalent of $5,000 today which was sent to Midleton in Cork. The gesture was all the more remarkable given that the tribe was only beginning to re-establish itself in Oklahoma having endured the infamous Trail of Tears in the 1830s, during which some 15,000 Choctaw were forcibly removed from their homelands east of the Mississippi river to the then unsettled territories in Oklahoma. An estimated 5,000 people perished from disease or hunger or, in some cases, murder.
The act of generosity to Ireland existed as a folk memory for decades but was formalised in 1995 when then president Mary Robinson visited Oklahoma to express the gratitude of the Irish people. In 2017, a sculpture by Cork artist Alex Pentek was unveiled in Midleton and Friday’s ceremony established a mutual interest in extending the relationship between the peoples.
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton told those present that this tribe is “grateful for the giving hearts of our Choctaw ancestors that brought us here today. We are excited to see what this eternal bond will bring to future generations of Choctaw and Irish.”
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