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The Choctaw Nation’s $170 Gift to Famine-Stricken Ireland

In 1847, the Choctaw Nation did something that still stuns us today.

Just 16 years after their own Trail of Tears killed thousands, they gave $170 to help starving Irish families.

The Choctaw met in Skullyville, Oklahoma on March 23, and though poor themselves, they knew what hunger felt like. Their gift, worth about $5,000 now, traveled from Memphis to New York before reaching Ireland.

This act built a bond that lives on through sculptures like “Kindred Spirits” in Ireland and the new “Eternal Heart” in Tuskahoma.

The story of this remarkable friendship comes alive when you visit the Choctaw Nation today.

The Choctaw Lost Their Homeland in a Brutal Forced March

The U.S. government kicked the Choctaw people out of their Mississippi homeland after the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek.

From 1831 to 1833, about 12,500 Choctaw walked hundreds of miles through bitter winter weather to reach what’s now Oklahoma.

Many didn’t survive as cold, sickness, and hunger took their toll. Between 2,500 and 6,000 Choctaw died during this forced move.

By 1847, the tribe still lived in poverty and trauma, staying in basic shelters with few supplies in their new land.

Hunger Swept Through Ireland as Crops Failed Nationwide

Potato blight first hit Irish farms in September 1845, wiping out the main food for millions of poor families. The next year brought total ruin when almost all potato crops rotted in the ground.

Food costs shot up beyond what most Irish families could pay. From 1845 to 1849, over one million Irish people starved or died from famine-related illnesses.

The British government did too little, offering only workhouses and tiny bits of help while bodies piled up across the countryside.

Word of Irish Suffering Traveled to Oklahoma

Choctaw people learned about the Irish Famine from newspapers read out loud at group meetings and from church workers in their area.

Major William Armstrong, who worked as U.S. agent to the Choctaw Nation, told them details about Ireland’s troubles during tribal talks.

Choctaw leaders quickly saw how the Irish story matched their own recent tragedy. Their tribal values stressed helping others in need, no matter their own problems.

Leaders Gathered Their People to Take Action

On March 23, 1847, Choctaw leaders called a meeting in Skullyville to talk about the Irish crisis. Though poor themselves, tribal members felt they needed to help the hungry Irish families across the ocean.

They talked about their own recent hardships and why that created a duty to help others in similar trouble. Major Armstrong helped collect the money and promised to make sure it reached Ireland safely.

Pennies and Coins Added Up to a Meaningful Gift

Each Choctaw person gave what little they could, often just a few cents from their small earnings. Some walked many miles to add their coins to the growing pile.

The total reached $170, worth about $5,000 today, but meant much more from people who earned only pennies each day from farming, hunting, or simple trades.

For many donors, giving meant going without basics themselves.

Money Traveled Across an Ocean to Feed the Hungry

The funds first went to the Memphis Irish Relief Committee, joining other gifts from across America.

From there, the money moved to the General Irish Relief Committee in New York, which sent aid to Ireland. Quakers in Ireland helped give out the funds to buy food for the hungriest families.

Irish people felt surprised and thankful when they learned Native Americans sent the money, calling it a gift “from the children of the forest.

The Story Faded from Memory for Over a Century

A few American newspapers mentioned the Choctaw gift, but the story soon slipped from public view.

No one wrote down exactly how the money helped specific Irish towns as the urgent crisis took priority over keeping records.

Both Choctaw and Irish history books only briefly noted the event for more than a hundred years. The amazing link between these two suffering groups stayed mostly forgotten until the late 1900s.

Both Nations Rediscovered Their Shared History

Irish researcher Don Mullan found mentions of the Choctaw gift while studying famine records in the 1980s, bringing the story back to light.

In 1990, Choctaw leaders went to Ireland to join the yearly Famine Walk honoring those who died. Irish President Mary Robinson visited the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma in 1995, thanking them for their ancestors’ kindness.

The rediscovered story quickly became a powerful symbol of how caring can cross cultural and geographic lines.

A Circle of Eagle Feathers Honors an Unlikely Friendship

Irish artist Alex Pentek created a stunning monument called “Kindred Spirits” in Midleton, County Cork, to honor the Choctaw gift.

The sculpture features nine 20-foot stainless steel eagle feathers arranged in a circle, forming the shape of an empty bowl.

Unveiled in 2017 to mark the 170th anniversary of the donation, the monument stands as a permanent reminder of the connection between the two peoples.

The empty bowl symbolizes the shared experience of hunger that brought these cultures together across vast distances.

Irish People Repaid a 173-Year-Old Debt

When COVID-19 hit the Navajo and Hopi nations particularly hard in 2020, thousands of Irish people stepped up to help.

A GoFundMe campaign for Native American communities saw an unexpected surge of donations from Ireland, with contributors specifically mentioning the 1847 Choctaw gift in their comments.

Irish donations exceeded $5 million, with many donors including messages about “returning the kindness” from nearly two centuries earlier.

The pandemic response showed how the historical connection remained alive in Irish cultural memory.

Two Cultures Keep Their Bond Alive Through New Traditions

Ireland established the Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship Program in 2018, allowing Choctaw students to study at University College Cork each year.

Cultural exchanges now happen regularly, with artists, musicians, and community leaders traveling between the nations.

A companion sculpture called “Eternal Heart” found its home in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma, in 2024, creating a pair of monuments on both sides of the Atlantic.

Annual commemorative events in both countries continue to strengthen this unique friendship born from shared histories of suffering and resilience.

Visiting Tuskahoma, Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation Museum at the Capitol Grounds on Council House Road in Tuskahoma tells the story of the Choctaw people’s $170 donation to Ireland during the Great Famine.

You can visit the museum free Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm to see exhibits about the Trail of Tears and Choctaw culture.

Walk the outdoor educational path and explore the replica Choctaw village across from the museum to learn more about this generous act.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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