Appeal for Native Americans affected by Covid-19 sees surge in Irish support

The Kindred Spirits sculpture in Co Cork, commemorating the Choctaw people for their donation during the Great Hunger.

An appeal to raise funds for a community of Native Americans "devastated" by coronavirus has seen a surge in support from Irish people.

The Rural Utah Project Education Fund hopes to raise $2m (€1.85m) to support Navajo communities struggling to survive amid the Covid-19 pandemic. One-third of the area's residents do not have access to running water and it has high numbers of elderly and immuno-compromised residents. Just under 200,000 people in the area are served by only 16 grocery stores.

A team of volunteers led by enrolled Navajo and Hopi tribal members plans to use the funds to provide essential food items to vulnerable residents as well as PPE and other healthcare items to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among the community.

In recent days, they have seen several donations come through their GoFundMe campaign inspired by the aid the Native American people sent to Ireland during the Great Hunger. The Choctaw Nation provided $170 of relief aid to Ireland in 1847 - the equivalent of €4,600 today - not long after they suffered through the Trail of Tears.

"173 years later to today, the favor is returned through generous donations from the Irish people to the Navajo Nation during our time of crisis," fundraiser Vanessa Tulley.

Some of the messages received from Irish people

"A message from Irish donor, Pat Hayes, sent from Ireland across the ocean: 'From Ireland, 170 years later, the favour is returned! To our Native American brothers and sisters in your moment of hardship'."

Ms Tully said the team is "so grateful" for the support they have received.

"The heartache is real. We have lost so many of our sacred Navajo elders and youth to Covid-19. It is truly devastating. And a dark time in history for our Nation.

"In moments like these, we are so grateful for the love and support we have received from all around the world. Acts of kindness from indigenous ancestors passed being reciprocated nearly 200 years later through blood memory and interconnectedness. Thank you, IRELAND, for showing solidarity and being here for us."

At the time of writing, over $1.7m (€1.57m) had been raised to help the Navajo community through the pandemic. Further donations can be made here.

In 2017, the generosity of the Choctaw Nation was marked in Co Cork with the unveiling of a sculpture. The piece, 'Kindred Spirits', by Cork-based sculptor Alex Pentek, is on display in Midleton.

The stainless steel sculpture is made of nine 20ft eagle feathers, arranged in a circle and reaching towards the sky. It is is a metaphorical representation of a bowl filled with food, presented to the hungry.