The Choctaw Nation & Ireland

Inspired by an Irish phrase 'when fire is applied to a stone it cracks' this beautiful piece by Choctaw-Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson at the Brooklyn Museum encapsulates the last few weeks on our ‘Sharing Lands’ field trip which included a fantastic trip and thought-provoking 'Sharing Lands' trip to the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma

On my return from Oklahoma I was very surprised to discover that my return coincided with a storyline on 'Fair City' about the relationship between the Choctaw and the Irish. Never one to ignore a sign (!) I wrote a piece for RTE Brainstorm about the enduring links between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland since they donated $172 to the Famine Relief Fund in 1847.
The Ties that Bind the Irish People and the Choctaw Nation

I also wrote a piece about my visit to see Native Voices, Native Lands at the Field Museum in Chicago for our ‘Sharing Lands’ website (where you will learn a lot about our project and keep up to date with project developments)

There’s a lot more to say about the trip from my new obsession with Stickball and Sweet Potato Pies to visits to the Smithsonian, Ellis Island, Tuskahoma Capitol Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, Brooklyn Museum, Choctaw Cultural Center, 911 Museum but that’ll come in time….