It is a thank-you 178 years in the making.
Jake Martin, who is from Oklahoma and is of Native American heritage, is studying for a master’s degree in Ireland, because of a small but significant act of humanitarianism in 1847.
At the height of the Irish famine, the Choctaw people, who themselves had been forcibly displaced by the US government in “the Trail of Tears” in the 1830s, sent $170 (worth €4,000 today) to help starving people across the Atlantic.
The gesture was born out of a shared suffering and has turned into a lasting connection. In 2017, the Irish government set up a scholarship to honour that history and keep ties strong.
Martin, 28, who has been reading museum studies at University College Cork since September, is one of two current recipients of the scholarship that recognises his tribe’s generosity from nearly two centuries ago—an act that continues to bind the Choctaw Nation and the Irish people together. The other is Cayden Keith Cooke Kirkpatrick, 22, who is studying philosophy.
Martin told The Sunday Times: “The scholarship is a reminder of our brotherhood as oppressed people and a reminder for all to help their fellow man in need, no matter the circumstances. This programme works to strengthen the bonds between the Choctaw and Irish people, two peoples who are kindred spirits in a sense.”
Martin has found Ireland to be unexpectedly familiar and is even using Irish phrases. He speaks with warmth about the sense of community he has found here.
“It’s been great. I’ve loved Cork so far,” he said. “I’ve loved the culture, the sense of community. Everyone has been super helpful and friendly.
Now on a work placement at Cork Public Museum, Martin will return to America after finishing his studies next month
ALISON MILES/OSM PHOTO
“Where I’m from in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, it is so incredibly rural and spread out. Unless you’re going to the store, you don’t have the same level of interaction with people. That’s why I find the pub culture here so interesting, it’s kind of a ritual of sorts. It’s an opportunity to catch up and to be social.
“It’s certainly very different from home but it’s a nice thing, it feels warm.”
Martin’s heritage is a crucial part of his identity. “The Choctaw nation is family, it’s community. They’ve supported my family tremendously. In many ways they take more interest in us than the state or federal government ever has.”
His time in Ireland has also been an eye-opener in terms of identity and representation. “Growing up where I did, surrounded by indigenous people, I never thought much of it. But [with] travelling I realise how many Americans are surprised to hear indigenous people still even exist.
“There’s a misconception that we don’t exist any more, or that we all live in tepees and hunt bison, but being in Ireland has been great. Irish people have generally been really interested when I tell them about my background.”
Martin added: “Our people are originally from the southeastern part of North America, where Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama now are. We had to cede our traditional homelands so we were moved to southeastern Oklahoma, where my mother’s side of the family have lived since the 1870s”
The experience of studying at UCC has been positive for Martin, who had never been outside the US before. “The university has been very accommodating, and my programme is really diverse — we have students from the US, Canada, South Africa, Russia, Italy and ,of course, Ireland. I’ve made some great friends here.”
Beyond his studies, Martin has made the most of his time here. “I’ve been lucky to be able to see some of Europe. I’ve been to Portugal and Scotland, and I’d love to get to Greece before I leave, but we’ll see what happens.”
Now on a work placement at Cork Public Museum, Martin will return to America after finishing his studies next month.
He said he would prompt others in his community to apply for the scholarship. “Coming from where I do, an opportunity like this means so much. I’d encourage anyone to take it if they can.”
He added: “I have cherished my opportunity to live and be educated in Ireland as a Choctaw person, and I hope this programme continues. Although our friendship began close to 200 years ago, I believe it will only continue to blossom.”