This year marks the 179th anniversary of the modest donation that forever connected the Choctaw and Irish people. The Choctaw-Irish bond of friendship, rooted in compassion, continues to grow, linking the people of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and Ireland.
In 1847, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, still healing from forced removal from their homelands, raised $170 to help Irish families during the Great Famine. While $170 might seem modest, it would be about $6,900 today.
For the Choctaw and Irish, this gift remains a symbol of solidarity and generosity that connects two nations 4,000 miles apart.
Today, that bond is honoured in both Oklahoma and Ireland through permanent memorials and ongoing cultural partnerships.
In 2024, the Eternal Heart sculpture was unveiled at the Labor Day Festival in Tuskahoma. Created by Choctaw artist Samuel Stitt, the sculpture stands with the heart, representing the Choctaw Nation, facing Ireland. It blends Celtic and Choctaw symbols and was commissioned by the Chahta Foundation and the Irish government. Irish Minister of State Thomas Byrne and other Irish government representatives attended the event.
In 2017, representatives of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma visited the unveiling of the “Kindred Spirits” sculpture created by Irish artist Alex Pentek. This sculpture consists of nine 20-foot stainless steel eagle feathers arranged in a circle, no two identical, forming a bowl shape to represent a gift of food.
One of the most powerful expressions of today’s Choctaw–Irish relationship is the Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship programme, administered through the Choctaw Nation’s Chahta Foundation and supported by the Irish government and University College Cork (UCC).
Since its conception in 2018, the Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship has allowed 13 Choctaw students the opportunity to pursue master’s degrees at UCC.
Bianca Catalán and Cordell Palmer are the most recent recipients of this scholarship. Catalán, a summa cum laude City College of New York graduate with a background in theatre and creative producing, plans to integrate her heritage into original music projects and hopes to share her work with both Cork and the Choctaw Nation. Palmer, a magna cum laude graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, will study international public policy and diplomacy with an eye toward serving his tribal community after graduation.
The Choctaw Cultural Center will again host its annual Choctaw-Irish Friendship Festival, a two-day cultural event.
Attendees can enjoy an art market, traditional crafting demonstrations, storytelling, games and other Choctaw-Irish activities.