'Unified In Spirit': The Irish Give Back To Navajo Coronavirus Relief

When the Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund launched a GoFundMe page back in mid-March, donations poured in. Then something curious happened. The list of donors, which grew by the day, included many, many, many names from Ireland.

Why? Here's one insight, from a note Paul O’Beirne wrote along with a $40 donation: “We will never forget the extraordinary kindness show[n] by the Choctaw Nation during the Great Hunger in Ireland. Thank you.”

In this 'Dear On Point' radio diary, we hear from Gary Batton, Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and sculptor Alex Pentek, who crafted a sculpture commemorating the Choctaw Nation. It’s called “Kindred Spirits” and is in County Cork, Ireland.

The Navajo and Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund has raised more than $4.14 million so far, in sight of their $5 million goal.