The country of Ireland is reportedly stepping up with COVID-19 relief donations to the Navajo Nation, repaying a debt acquired in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine.
Irish Central News reports nearly $1.5 million in donations to a Go Fund Me providing relief to Navajo and Hopi families affected by the new coronavirus. The donations are directly related to the Great Potato Famine, 1845-1849, when the Choctaw Nation donated $170.00 to Ireland for famine relief. At the time, the Choctaw, along with many other tribes, had just suffered through the Trail of Tears forced relocation. The tribe was empathetic to the suffering of the Irish people. According to the Go Fund Me website, the donation campaign is meant to return the favor to Indigenous people who helped during a separate crisis, more than 170 years ago.
