Famine Pots: The Choctaw-Irish Gift Exchange, 1847-Present

American Indian Studies (AIS)

by Howe Leanne (Editor), Padraig Kirwan

The remarkable story of the money sent by the Choctaw to the Irish in 1847 is one that is often told and remembered by people in both nations. This gift was sent to the Irish from the Choctaw at the height of the Great Irish Famine, just sixteen years after the Choctaw began their march on the Trail of Tears toward the areas west of the Mississippi River. Famine Pots honours that extraordinary gift and provides further context about and consideration of this powerful symbol of cross-cultural synergy through a collection of essays and poems that speak volumes of the empathy and connectivity between the two communities. As well as signalling patterns of movement and exchange, this study of the gift exchange invites reflection on processes of cultural formation within Choctaw and Irish society alike, and sheds light on long-time concerns surrounding spiritual and social identities. This volume aims to facilitate a fuller understanding of the historical complexities that surrounded migration and movement in the colonial world, which in turn will help lead to a more constructive consideration of the ways in which Irish and Native American Studies might be drawn together today.

Genres: Ireland, Indigenous, History, Native American

Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Maureen Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

While so much of our culture falls into question and repute, along comes a book about two nations coming together out of mutual respect and empathy. LeAnne Howe and Padraig Kirwan edit this masterful anthology about Choctaw people and their collective empathy over the Irish potato famine. The group donates money to the Irish. In turn, the Irish commission a sculpture in their honor, and Irish President Mary Robinson publically thanks the Choctaw Nation. The Irish set up a scholarship for Choctaw students and donated money to Navajo and Hopi communities during the pandemic.

Howe's poetry is beautiful, and from the first Choctaw song, she notes the main focus of the book, "Because you are holding onto me I am not dead yet."
And so the postcolonial bond is formed, and echoes with not only suffering, but survival, and the strength to share these powerful stories.

As Eamonn Wall notes, a writing resurgence from Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett document the colonization of their people. Native American writers, Louise Erdrich, Linda Hoga, Joy Harjo, and N. Scott Momaday, among others, write about the colonization of Native people. "Native American history, though it is not the same as Ireland's, can also be defined by exploitation confiscation, genocide, disrespect for indigenous traditions, and bigotry. American Indian writers, like their Irish counterparts, have raised human experience to the level of art while always remaining true to their roots: in family, place, and orality."

Their stories and experiences are distinct, but their mutual generosity and understanding create bonds that transcend time. The artistic focus on storytellers, poets, and essayists, including those in Famine Pots, offers a way to live in our new world.

[Cayden Kirkpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed having so many different perspectives on Choctaw-Irish relations and history but at times wanted a more comprehensive historical account.