‘Sacred bond’
Irish leader visits Choctaws to thank them for 1847 gift
DURANT — Two nations bound by 19th-century tragedies — one natural, another man-made — rekindled their unlikely friendship Monday when Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar addressed the Choctaw Nation.
“The story of our two peoples — the Irish people and the Choctaw people — symbolizes the spirit of St. Patrick, our patron saint, perhaps better than anything else,” Varadkar told a gathering of tribal elders and dignitaries.
Varadkar visited to thank the tribe for $170 given 171 years ago.
In 1847, as a devastating potato famine was killing a million people in Ireland and forcing two million more to flee, the Choctaw tribe — still recovering from forced migration along the Trail of Tears — collected money and sent it to Dublin for the benefit of complete strangers thousands of miles away.
“Your act of kinship and generosity almost two centuries ago is memorialized in our history books and is commemorated on many occasions,” Varadkar told the Choctaws. “Your act of kindness never has been and never will be forgotten in Ireland.”
The prime minister announced the creation of a new college scholarship fund by the Irish government for Choctaw students who seek to study in Ireland, calling it “an opportunity
for us to learn from you and your culture, and you from ours, in a sharing of knowledge that will enrich both our peoples.”
“Our ancestors were joined together in a time of tragedy and their descendants are now united in the spirit of learning and of hope,” he said.
An hourlong ceremony was held at the Choctaw RV Center to celebrate Varadkar’s visit, featuring Irish and Choctaw songs, performances by Choctaw musicians, a historian’s account of the 1847 gift and speeches. Among the roughly 120 people in attendance were Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall, Gov. Mary Fallin and U.S. Attorney Brian Kuester. “The Choctaw Nation, which had very limited resources, gave money to help a country clear across the ocean and its people,” Fallin said after the event. “To come back all these years later to say thank you is quite remarkable.”
Choctaw Chief Gary Batton said the Irish and Choctaws “have a very similar history of tragedy, perseverance and strength,” and called them “kindred spirits.”
“The Choctaw people gave 171 years ago and our people continue to have that same spirit today,” he said.
Last year, Batton traveled to the southern Irish town of Midleton for the unveiling of a sculpture, named “Kindred Spirit,” that serves as a reminder of the two nations’ bond. Nine feathers, standing 20 feet tall, form an empty bowl, symbolizing the Choctaws’ generosity during the famine.
“You showed compassion to a starving people who were dying,” Varadkar told the tribe Monday.
The prime minister gave the gifts of a drum and sports equipment to Batton. In return, Choctaw flute maker Presley Byington gifted the prime minister a flute after he played a soft, melodious song with it. Batton gave Varadkar stickball equipment and taught him how to play the centuries-old sport. Loud cheers erupted when the prime minister caught the woven ball, known as a towa, after several tries.
Varadkar also tried two traditional Choctaw dishes: Tanchi labana, a popular corn recipe; and grape dumplings, a dessert. He said the Choctaws’ donation 171 years ago continues to shape Ireland today, influencing its foreign policy “and encouraging us to ... become a beacon of hope around the world."
“It’s a sacred bond which joins our people together, I hope, for all time."