Circumventing "Hostipitality": The Enduring Legacy of 19th-Century Choctaw Nation and Irish Solidarity

Abstract

Abstract:

The abiding legacy between the Choctaw Nation and Irish citizens stems from a small act of kindness in the 19th century. Following their forced migration during the 1830s, aptly remembered as the Trail of Tears, the Choctaw Nation donated $710 in 1847 ($26,468.37 in 2023 currency) to address Irish poverty resulting from the potato famine (Howe and Kirwan, xxvii). This act of benevolence established a cultural bond between the two groups—one that still thrives and has expanded to include other participants and recipients of their largesse.