Ryan Spring

to all these big cities around the US.

And so these later removals disconnected a lot of our people.

So the virtual Trail of Tears walk is a way that we can engage with our people that don't necessarily live here, but are still a part of our greater community.

We also have our Trail of Tears bike riders, which is an amazing group of people that, you know, over a week journey, ride segments of the Trail of Tears from Mississippi

all the way to Oklahoma and to help commemorate that history.

In 1990, we had citizens from the Republic of Ireland visit the Choctaw Nation, and they reawakened a story about the Choctaw Irish Gift Exchange.

So in 1847, there were two gifts of donations from the Choctaw people given to the people of Ireland during the famine.

One gift at Scullyville was for a little over $170, and the second gift down in Dokesville was a little over $150.

Wow.

So we had forgot about this history.

We forgot about these gifts.

And so in the 90s, this knowledge was reawakened by visitors from Ireland that came to talk with us about this.

Choctaw people were excited about relearning this history, reawakening this history.

And so a delegation of our leaders went to the Republic of Ireland in 1991, and they participated in Archbishop Desmond Tutu's famine walk that he was hosting.

I see.

As part of the memorial walk.

Nice.

That is a difficult question.

I will say that, you know, on an individual level, that's something that every Choctaw person has to come to terms with.

You know, we are a bicultural people.