Irish donations flood in for Navajo Nation, reliving historic bond

GoFundMe page for Navajo and Hopi virus aid lists many Irish surnames

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - In 1847 the Choctaw nation set aside their own hunger, donating $170 — around $5,000 today — to victims of Irish famine.

This happened while the tribe themselves suffered through the Trail of Tears. Still, the tribe empathized with Irish people enduring the Great Famine thousands of miles away.

Now this centuries-old bond is renewed in the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as Irish people are donating to a fund for Navajo and other native communities swept by the virus.

As of Saturday afternoon, a GoFundMe page for Navajo and Hopi families devastated by the pandemic has raised over $3.3 million, with hundreds of donations made by Irish last names.

DONATE NOW: OFFICIAL Navajo Nation COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDhttps://t.co/HznDDazUQ2

— Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez (@NNPrezNez) May 8, 2020

The Navajo Nation has pleaded for help from the federal government to combat the spread.

Neither the Navajo nor any tribes had received any of the $8 billion of aid granted to them in the CARES Act until Tuesday, reports ABCNews, and they are still waiting on 40 percent of funds.