New Sculpture is Unveiled in Oklahoma to Honor the Choctaw-Irish Connection

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Photo courtesy of Choctaw Nation
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A new sculpture memorializing the historic connections between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland was unveiled on August 30, 2024 at Choctaw Capitol Grounds in Tvshka Homma, Oklahoma.

Entitled Eternal Heart, the eight foot high sculpture created by artist Samuel Still of Choctow Nation combines a symbol of Irish trinity with a heart, facing toward Ireland.  It was a joint commission funded by the Government of Ireland and the Chahta Foundation.

The sculpture honors an extraordinary act of kindness that happened in 1847, when the Choctaw people raised more than $170 ($5000 today) to send to the people of Midleton, County Cork, during the height of the Irish Famine, a five-year potato crop failure that devastated the island. The Choctaws themselves had just endured the arduous journey known as the “Trail of Tears," where they were forcibly relocated from their homes in the eastern part of the continent to what was called Indian Territory west of the Mississippi.

At the recent ceremony to unveil the memorial, sculptor Sam Stitt said, "The Choctaw culture of giving and caring for others is passed down to each generation. The Eternal Heart is an artistic interpretation of how the Irish people and Choctaw Nation will forever be connected by that human characteristic of compassion – one people for another.”

Read full information about the Eternal Heart unveiling. 

In 1995, Ireland's President Mary Robinson traveled to Choctaw Nation to thank them for their generosity during Ireland's time of need. She was appointed an Honorary Chief of Choctaw Nation.  That meeting led to a new generation of conversations between the Choctaw and Irish people.

Kindred Spirits in County Cork, Photo courtesy of Gavin Sheridan 

In June, 2017, the people of Ireland unveiled a tribute  called Kindred Spirits to the Choctaw Nation at Bailick Park in Midleton, Cork. The 20 foot stainless steel sculpture features nine eagle feathers arranged in a circle.   It was created by artist Alex Pentack.

Learn more about visiting Ireland at Ireland.com. 








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