03/18/2026
“A gift from Ireland. We will never forget how you helped us in our hour of need during the Irish Famine of 1840-1845. Your kindness to the people of Ireland will never be forgotten. I thank you for your kindness and generosity to our nation. Our nations will always be linked by friendship.” — Message left by an Irish donor on a GoFundMe for Navajo and Hopi COVID-19 relief
During the Great Hunger (An Gorta Mór), over one million Irish people died, and another million fled. After hearing of the famine, the Choctaw Nation—just years after surviving the Trail of Tears—sent $170 (over $5,000 today) to support the Irish people. Despite being strangers an ocean apart, despite experiencing their own cultural trauma, our Choctaw relatives gave the gift of philanthropy.
Generations later, that spirit of solidarity lives on. In 2020, as COVID-19 hit the Navajo and Hopi Nations hardest, the people of Ireland rallied in return—raising over $3 million to provide food, water, PPE, and essential supplies to tens of thousands.
This , we honor this powerful, ongoing bond between Native and Irish communities—and invite our non-Native allies to embrace our shared values of generosity and reciprocity. 💚 "
Via
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