Kevin McCann, Irish writer and flimmaker
Originally Published: May 26, 2020 1:30 p.m.
Editor's note: Kevin McCann is a writer and filmmaker from Ireland. His company Maccana Teoranta produce drama and documentary films. He is currently developing a documentary celebrating the links between Ireland and Native America featuring the story of the Choctaw Irish Famine Gift.
This month, tens of thousands of Irish people are donating to a $5 million fund-raising campaign to help the Navajo and Hopi tribes battling the Coronavirus. Irish donors see this as a long overdue payback for the gift of $170 sent by the Choctaw Tribe to Ireland during the famine. My own reason for donating was more recent. A personal experience of receiving the generosity of the Navajo people.
As an Irish writer and filmmaker interested in telling a story about Native America, I was aware of their similar history to Ireland in terms of colonization and cultural oppression but knew very little about who they are today. And so to find out more, I went on a camping adventure last October to Navajo Nation, a land reservation the same size as the Irish Republic just east of the Grand Canyon.
Before our trip, my partner Mn and I met with a Navajo filmmaker in Los Angeles named Pamela Peters. She kindly suggested people to interview and spoke of Native Americas struggle for recognition. Pamela warned us about the apprehension towards white people making films about them because of misrepresentations and skewed narratives similar to objectionable Irish stereotypes and revisionist agendas.
Our trip would coincide with the Western Navajo Fair, the last tribal festival of the year. We packed our rented car with camping gear and enough snacks for a week. We left LA at daybreak and drove east for 10 hours. At Flagstaff, Arizona (on Route 66), we filled up with gas before heading north-east. The sun set behind us as we crossed the border into the reservation at a dusty plain called Wolf Crossing. We pitched our tent at the remote Hopi Cultural Center under Octobers harvest moon.
The next day after visiting a Hopi Tribal museum and nearby crumbling villages, I discovered that I had lost our wallet. We were in a very remote area with poor phone coverage and $20 in cash. Rather than return to LA, we had faith and decided to plough on. The full tank of gas took us to Tuba City population 8,611. Our eyes lit up when we saw Hogan in majestic bright letters over the door of a hotel. As Irish people, we thought we were home and dry with that name. However, in the Navajo language, hogan means house. But all was not lost. The Western Navajo Fair hadnt started yet and they had a couple of tent spaces to rent and we had just enough to pay for a night.
The lobby computer at Hogans Hotel became a part-time office as we figured out a solution. Pamela, the Navajo filmmaker back in LA was now our only point of contact and helped to arrange interviews. Hearing our predicament, she paid for a meal for us along with a second night at the campsite. That evening, the Hogan Restaurant served a beautiful meal with traditional blue corn bread (highly recommended) before the arrival of the Navajo Council Delegate and medicine man. Mention of the name Otto Tso was greeted with smiles and nods of respect. Soon after our meal, Otto came in and sat down opposite us in the booth. He wore traditional regalia and a turquoise necklace. We ordered some tea.
Half-way through our interview, the hotel porter came over and handed the key of Room 207 to Otto. He passed it over to us. He had kindly arranged for Mn and I to stay that night in the hotel. We were happy camping and were initially reluctant to accept, but October nights in Arizona are chilly enough. We didnt take much convincing. As the interview went on, I glanced at the key and was struck by this act of kindness. This man didnt know us. He was just helping strangers in trouble.
Otto told us that he lost his mother when he was 7-years-old. A month before she died, she sat her only child down and instructed the young Otto to follow a meaningful path in life. As an adult, he joined the tribal council to serve his people.
There are 572 Native American tribes recognized by the Federal Government and Navajo is the largest, he told us, In my first term, we built a $19 million sewerage scheme on the reservation. This year, its infrastructure - building roads and fixing potholes.
Ottos eyes welled with tears when telling the Navajo story. We had seen those same tears when speaking with Pamela. In their eyes, was the hurt of the Native people. A hurt from an unhealed wound. A hurt that still allowed for compassion to strangers.
The sun is our father and the earth is our mother, Otto told us, and with a smile added I like to tell people that our backyard is the Grand Canyon.
Before leaving, I took a photo of Otto and Mn beneath a picture of a Navajo herdswoman. The next day, Otto did us a wonderful favour. I used the computer in the hotel lobby to transfer money to his bank account and he met me at the hotel to give me cash. After our comfortable night in the hotel, we had enough money to enjoy our trip and get home. We were saved.
Over the next few days, we enjoyed the Western Navajo Fair - rodeos and rollercoasters mixed with pre-dawn ritual dances and tribal gatherings. Otto invited us to his home to meet the tribal council after the parade through Tuba City. We saw no other white people while we were there.
The Choctaw tribe whose ancestors gave Ireland the gift during the famine live in Oklahoma, another 1,000 miles to the east. The love of community and wisdom in generosity seen in 1847 lives on to this day.
Right now, Navajo Nation has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection. I am proud to honor the kindness of Otto Tso and Pamela Peters in joining the tens of thousands of Irish donating to their fund-raising campaign.
More information about McCann and current projects can be found through his company Maccana Teoranta at http://www.maccana.ie. Supported by Screen Ireland, Kevin is producing the first movie on the 1916 Irish Rebellion. (www.therising.ie) He is also developing a documentary celebrating the links between Ireland and Native America.
- Moon Man (Paul Dougherty - A Tribute to Newt Gingrich) - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- The MOON Colonization Program Documentary. - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Moon Colonization - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Newt Gingrich Moon Colonization-Chris Christie Disrespects Civil Rights Movement-Truth About 2012 - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Pennies for NASA: Small change to help bolster our underfunded space program [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2012]
- Moon Colonization Minecraft Model - Space [Last Updated On: November 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 14th, 2012]
- Ben W's Space and Place Movie - Video [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2012]
- Live video from Mars [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2013]
- Former astronaut Chris Hadfield gives Stephen Hawking insights on space [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2013]
- Former astronaut Chris Hadfield predicts humans will establish moon colony within 30-40 years [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2013]
- Poptropica Cheats for Lunar Colony [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2013]
- Moon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2013]
- Colonization of the Moon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2013]
- Fort Bliss Officer competes to live on Mars [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2013]
- Moon in fiction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2013]
- Moonbase Lunar Colony Simulator - Colonization [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2013]
- Poptropica Cheats for Lunar Colony Island [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2013]
- This House would colonize the moon | idebate.org [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2013]
- American Hustle and the Art of the Homage [Last Updated On: December 31st, 2013] [Originally Added On: December 31st, 2013]
- Canadian woman ‘giddy’ about possible one-way trip to Mars [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2014]
- Edmonton woman ‘giddy’ about possible one-way trip to Mars [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2014]
- Mount Holyoke's Darby Dyar Heads for Outer Space--Virtually [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2014]
- Space Colonization Basics [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2014]
- 10 Pros (and Cons) of Colonizing the Moon : Discovery Channel [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2014]
- Colonization of the Moon - Space Colonization Wiki [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2014]
- Colonize The Moon [Last Updated On: January 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 17th, 2014]
- Navy reveals next big project [Last Updated On: January 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 21st, 2014]
- Penn State alumnus turns art into science and vice versa [Last Updated On: January 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 24th, 2014]
- Facilities first, and fly fishing on Mars [Last Updated On: January 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 26th, 2014]
- FOGEL: One giant leap of faith [Last Updated On: January 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 26th, 2014]
- Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO’s War on Libya and Africa – Book Review [Last Updated On: January 28th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 28th, 2014]
- Minecraft Tekkit Gameplay: Part 7 "Jedi's Castle" - Video [Last Updated On: January 30th, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 30th, 2014]
- The Landscapes Of Suburbia Are The Real Science Fiction [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2014] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2014]
- Chris Hadfield touches down in Langley [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2014] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2014]
- Gameng exhibit shows Ilocos way of life, inabel art [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2014]
- Europe's largest badger study finds rare long-distance movements [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2014]
- Space Colonization - Carl Sagan [HD] - Video [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2014]
- Louisiana State Parks May 2014 Calendar of Events [Last Updated On: March 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 15th, 2014]
- SpaceX prepares to take the biggest step towards affordable space travel: Soft landing the Falcon 9 rocket (Updated) [Last Updated On: March 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 15th, 2014]
- Obama Set for Trilateral Talks With Japan, S. Korea [Last Updated On: March 25th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2014]
- The Nigerian Joke By P. Chuka Nwafor, PhD [Last Updated On: March 26th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 26th, 2014]
- Moon Universalis A EU4 mod look at - Video [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2014]
- Moon colonization? - Yahoo Answers [Last Updated On: March 30th, 2014] [Originally Added On: March 30th, 2014]
- What Is the Fermi Paradox? [Last Updated On: April 2nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 2nd, 2014]
- Rwanda marks 20 years since genocide with emotional memorial [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Rwandans mark 20 years since genocide [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Amid sorrowful wails, Rwanda marks 20th anniversary of genocide [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Wails, sobs: Rwanda marks 20 years since start of genocide [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Rwandans Reflect On 'Never Again' 20 Years After Geneocide [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Rwandans Reflect On 'Never Again' 20 Years After Genocide [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Wails, sobs: Rwanda marks 20 years since genocide [Last Updated On: April 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 7th, 2014]
- Renewal replaces ghosts, guns in Rwanda [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2014]
- Washington View: Shuttle-less U.S. losing ground in space race [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2014]
- We Pay Tribute [Last Updated On: April 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 10th, 2014]
- Hot spots for future manned space missions: Humanity's bucket list [Last Updated On: April 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 10th, 2014]
- It's a mistake to rely on Russia's space shuttle [Last Updated On: April 12th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 12th, 2014]
- Research suggests scale of disruptive behaviour in schools is underestimated [Last Updated On: April 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 15th, 2014]
- Americans predict what the future looks like for technology [Last Updated On: April 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 17th, 2014]
- Purdue U. students outline plan for colony on moon [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2014]
- Students' $550B moon colony [Last Updated On: April 21st, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 21st, 2014]
- NASA Chief Tells the Critics of Exploration Plan: 'Get Over It' [Last Updated On: April 23rd, 2014] [Originally Added On: April 23rd, 2014]
- Moon colonization? - Yahoo [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2014]
- NASA Wants to Send Plant Life to Mars in 2020 [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2014]
- Reducaed to hitchhikers [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2014]
- Mars colonization a suicide mission, says Canadian astronaut [Last Updated On: May 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 10th, 2014]
- Russia Plans to Colonize the Moon in 2030 - Video [Last Updated On: May 10th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 10th, 2014]
- Reports: Russia Is Planning To Establish A Manned Moon Base By 2030 [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2014]
- Russia to Begin Moon Colonization in 2030 Report [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2014]
- Public-Private Partnerships Key to US Spaceflight Future, Experts Say [Last Updated On: May 15th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 15th, 2014]
- Russia's Plans to Colonize Moon - Video [Last Updated On: May 16th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 16th, 2014]
- The Fermi Paradox: Where the Hell Are the Other Earths? [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2014]
- Better space plan needed [Last Updated On: May 24th, 2014] [Originally Added On: May 24th, 2014]
- Regulating Asteroid Mining [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2014]
- COLONIZATION OF THE MOON - Articles On Moon Colonization ... [Last Updated On: September 1st, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 1st, 2014]
- Russia will begin Moon colonization in 2030 - draft space ... [Last Updated On: September 2nd, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 2nd, 2014]
- GARNiDELiA Performs Gundam: Reconguista in G's Opening Song [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2014]
- 8 Things We Can Do Now to Build a Space Colony This Century [Last Updated On: September 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 9th, 2014]
- Forget Mars. Here's Where We Should Build Our First Off-World Colonies [Last Updated On: September 9th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 9th, 2014]
- Boeing, SpaceX share $6.8 billion crew contract [Last Updated On: September 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 17th, 2014]
- Boeing, SpaceX to team with NASA on space taxis [Last Updated On: September 17th, 2014] [Originally Added On: September 17th, 2014]