Writing historical fiction takes passion. Concurrently, it is both exciting and daunting. One must be thoroughly immersed in the culture of the characters and the period of the setting. My passion since high school has been with the plight of the indigenous peoples of our hemisphere. My passion as an adult has been in discovering my own roots and heritage, which I've come to assume without positive proof to be Irish.
That said, imagine my excitement when I began to see similarities betwen the two cultures. The more research I did the more parallels I uncovered. Both survived constant invasions from foreigners, but were steadfast in trying to hold on to their land and beliefs. Both assimilated invaders into their cultures. Both had theologies tied to the land, shamanic and druidic. Christian missionaries influenced their histories. Mounds in Tara and Mississippi still confound archeologist for explanations. Invaders brought their wars with them,and ultimately got help from both the Irish and the Indians in their respective lands. Future references to "Indians" in this blog will focus on the Choctaw Nation. Disputes between Irish clans and Choctaw neighboring tribes weakened their military ability to challenge invaders. Defeat led to enslavement. The list goes on and the message is clear, their similar history predicts their ultimate fate.
Matty's story flows to the meeting of Irish and Choctaw. A compelling tale!
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