Choctaw native to study in Cork
A student from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has received a scholarship to study on Leeside, strengthening ties between Ireland and the Choctaw Nation.
Ciara O'Donnell, a film scholar, will study at UCC after becoming the second student to benefit from a scholarship aimed at fostering the ties between her home and Ireland.
The Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship was established last year in recognition of the act of generosity and humanitarianism shown by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma towards the people of Ireland during the Great Famine of the mid-nineteenth century, and is designed to foster and deepen the ties between the two nations today.
That bond was recently evident in the significant number of Irish donations made to a fundraiser to help Native Americans fight one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States, in order to help to return a long-standing favour.
In 1847, members of the Choctaw tribe raised $170 in famine relief for Ireland.
Ciara said: “The Choctaw Ireland Scholarship Programme offers me a chance to achieve goals I would have never been able to achieve without it. As the daughter of a single mother, I grew up knowing that education is a priority.
"With this scholarship, I will earn my Masters degree and create a film about the meaning of being Choctaw as I discover more of my heritage. Moreover, this will be a life-changing experience. It will be my first time abroad and an opportunity to learn about my ancestors and their shared experiences.”
Ciara will study the MA in Film and Screen Media at UCC, and her scholarship will cover full tuition and €10,000 in living expenses.
She added: “I am so thankful for this opportunity to further my education and continue to gain important experiences. I am going to take as much out of this experience as possible and make my tribe proud. Being able to explore the Irish-Choctaw connection in-depth will shape my future, and I hope to share that experience as far and wide as possible.”
The Kindred Spirits sculpture in Bailick Park in Midleton commemorates the 1847 donation.
- by the Native American Choctaw People to Irish famine relief