In the Choctaw Nation’s territory in Oklahoma, a sculpture has been erected by tribal leaders to preserve the memory of their 170 year old connection with the Irish people across the ocean.
The 8 foot tall 'Eternal Heart' sculpture, combining a heart with a Celtic trinity shape, was created to honour the bond forged between the Choctaw Nation and the most unlikely of people: the Irish.
In 1847, when Ireland was experiencing a potato famine, the tribe joined a compassionate campaign in the U.S. to help these strangers, despite their own suffering. The tribe pooled their pennies and raised $170 (almost $5,000 in today’s currency) to send to the relief fund to help alleviate the suffering of starving Irish families.
During the opening ceremony, Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said, “We are grateful for the giving hearts of our Choctaw ancestors that brought us here today. We are excited to see what this eternal bond will bring to future generations of Choctaw and Irish, and we are extremely proud to call the people of Ireland our friends and kindred spirits.”
The 'Eternal Heart' sculpture is the Choctaw tribe's reciprocation to a monument that was established in Cork 9 years ago. To remember their generosity and friendship, a huge stainless steel sculpture of nine eagle feathers was installed, and Choctaw leaders were invited to the grand unveiling.
The sculpture - called 'Kindred Spirits' - consists of nine 20-foot (6.1 m) stainless steel eagle feathers arranged in a circle, no two feathers being identical, forming a bowl shape to represent a gift of a bowl of food. The Irish sculptor, Anex Penetek, told the Irish Examiner at that time: “I wanted to show the courage, fragility and humanity that they displayed.”
Kindred Spirits image: CC BY-SA 4.0
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