Irish repay Native American generosity

A fundraising effort for Native American tribes hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic has received numerous notes and contributions from across the Atlantic. As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe page for the Navajo and Hopi reservations is close to its goal of $2 million, thanks to many gifts coming in from friends in Ireland. The money will go toward the purchase of necessities such as food, water, and personal protective equipment for residents in the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Reservation in the southwestern United States.

Why Ireland? In March 1847, some 60,000 Native Americans, many from the Choctaw tribe, heard about the Great Famine in Ireland. Despite having recently undergone forced relocation along the Trail of Tears, they banded together and raised funds worth about $5,000 today to send to the Irish. “173 years later … the favor is returned through generous donations from the Irish people to the Navajo Nation during our time of crisis,” said Vanessa Tulley, one of the organizers of the fundraising effort on behalf of the Rural Utah Project Education Fund.

Dig deeper: Read Rachel Lynn Aldrich’s report in Compassion about how COVID-19 is affecting Native American reservations.