Sculpture honoring relationship between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland to be unveiled

In March 1847, the worst year of the Irish Famine, members of the Choctaw Nation collected $170 and sent it to help starving Irish men, women and children.  

The generous response of the Native American Choctaw Nation to the starving people of Ireland is well documented and has given rise to a friendship between Ireland and the Choctaw Nation.  

Judy Allen, writing in 1992, as editor of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s newspaper, Bishinik, described the donation to the people of Ireland in 1847.

“It had been just 16 years since the Choctaw people had experienced the Trail of Tears, and they had faced starvation,” Allen wrote. 

“It was an amazing gesture.

“By today’s standards, it might be a million dollars.”  

Their donation came after tribal elders were appalled to read about the scale of death and suffering in Ireland from repeated potato crop failures.

The Choctaw Nation sent money even though they were dealing with their own problems.

While other wealthier European nations effectively ignored the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ireland, the Choctaw Nation took action to try and alleviate the suffering of the Irish people.

While the famine in Ireland had been catalyzed by the failure of the potato crop that poor rural people depended on, the deeper, underlying cause was that Ireland, colonized by England centuries before, had been forced into a land tenure system that enabled mainly English landlords to extract substantial profits from Irish tenant farmers while leaving many of them destitute. 

Now a sculpture honoring the relationship between the Choctaw Nation and the people of Ireland will soon be erected on the Choctaw Capitol grounds in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma.

The project is funded jointly by the Choctaw Nation and the Government of Ireland. The piece, titled “Eternal Heart,” was selected after a call for submissions was initiated last year. 

Samuel Stitt, of Spokane Valley, Washington, a member of the Choctaw Nation, submitted the winning entry. “Eternal Heart” combines a Celtic trinity shape intertwined with a heart. 

“There is no beginning or end to the overall piece – thus, it is eternal,” Stitt said. 

The sculpture will have a very specific orientation, with the heart – representing the Choctaw Nation – facing toward Ireland. 

The sculpture display will include an informational sign and winding path. 

“All the elements are symbolic and created with specific references in mind,” Stitt said. 

The concrete base for the 8-foot-tall piece is edged with diamond shapes, a Choctaw symbol of reverence to the diamondback snake.

The sculpture will sit atop a mound, honoring the heritage of mound-building of the Choctaw ancestors as well as the ancient “hill forts” and mounds found in Ireland.

Even the winding footpath represents the Trail of Tears, with the exact orientation mirroring the arduous route from the Mississippi homelands to Indian Country. 

The “Kindred Spirit” sculpture, unveiled in 2015 in Cork, Ireland, symbolizes the connection and appreciation of the Irish for the Choctaw people. 

“I want to congratulate Samuel Stitt on being awarded the commission,” said Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin.

“Last year, as Taoiseach, and together with Chief Gary Batton, I announced the launch of this new project, which is intended to serve as a permanent legacy in Tuskahoma of the solidarity that exists between our peoples, just like the sculpture in Bailick Park, Midleton in County Cork.” 

The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States with more than 225,000 tribal members and 12,000-plus associates.  

This ancient people has an oral tradition dating back over 13,000 years.  

The first tribe over the Trail of Tears, its historic reservation boundaries are in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, covering 10,923 square miles.  

The Choctaw Nation’s vision, “Living out the Chahta Spirit of faith, family and culture,” is evident as it continues to focus on providing opportunities for growth and prosperity.