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Aside from Jerry Krause, the chief villain of The Last Dance thus far has been Isiah Thomas. The leader of the Bad Boys Pistons teams is still hated by Michael Jordan and many of the other players from those Bulls teams of the late 80s and early 90s, and that tension has been well-documented for years but has been thrust back into the spotlight thanks to this documentary.

This past Sunday’s episodes included a section on the Dream Team, where Thomas was famously excluded and is considered the biggest snub by far. Thomas still doesn’t understand his exclusion, but it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t basketball talent that kept him off the squad that went to Barcelona. Michael Jordan insisted in the documentary that he was not the reason for Thomas’ exclusion, noting that damn near half the Dream Team roster had previously had issues with Thomas. Rod Thorn has stated that in discussions with Jordan, Thomas never came up, and in the documentary the two recall their phone call with Mike asking “who’s going to be there” and Thorn simply saying, “not the guy you’re thinking of.”

Jordan’s insinuation that others like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird also didn’t like Isiah and could’ve been part of keeping him off the roster led to Magic addressing that issue on First Take on Monday.

“You have to be with each other for two months, and there was four or five guys who just had problems with him [Isiah Thomas],” Magic said. “He was unfortunately not going to be a part of the Dream Team because of those problems, because we all had to live with each other for two months, practice with each other, hang out with each other, all those things.”

…

“Now, did I have a hand in him not being on the Dream Team? No. They didn’t ask me who should be on the team. The only thing David Stern and Rod Thorn asked me to do was to call Larry Bird and Michael Jordan and tell them they should play on the Dream Team.”

At this point, given the recollection Jordan had of his conversation with Thorn and Magic’s insistence here that Isiah never came up in conversations between he and the USA Basketball executives, what seems most likely is that none of the players had direct conversations that led to Thomas’ exclusion — which, in turn, gives them all plausible deniability here. Thorn, as the executive VP of basketball operations for the NBA, knew very well the tensions between all of those players and Thomas and did not need to have explicit conversations with them to know that keeping Thomas off the roster was the best way to ensure they got the rest of those top stars to agree to join the squad.

So, while those players were surely the reason Isiah didn’t land on the roster, they didn’t have to say anything for that to happen. From Thorn’s perspective, it’s understandable. You leave off one player to ensure you get five of the biggest names in basketball — and most importantly, the biggest in Michael Jordan — and while it’s unfortunate for Thomas that he was left off, it couldn’t have been a very difficult decision for Thorn and USA Basketball.

Though Jpegmafia only recently released his record All My Heros Are Cornballs, the rapper isn’t slowing down any time soon. Since his album debuted, Peggy has released several stand-alone singles, including the tongue-in-cheek track “Bald.” But the rapper didn’t stop there. Jpegmafia has called on Denzel Curry to offer up a verse for a chipper remix of the single.

Curry’s verse interrupts Peggy’s blown-out instruments in favor of a clapping beat. “My life was written already so I was gifted already / And with this God-given talent I knew the Devil been met me / Can’t compare me to Jesus because he ain’t Noah’s father / He told me, ‘Please be still and see that steel is revolver,’” Curry raps.

This isn’t the first time the two rappers have joined forces. Peggy appeared on Curry’s 2018 track “Vengence | Vengence.” Later, the duo linked up and Curry appeared in a promotional video for Peggy’s recently-released record.

Ahead of the remix’s release, Peggy sat down with Talib Kweli for a recent interview on People’s Party. Peggy told Kweli that fans don’t understand the intricacies of producing music. “The touring we do, the work we put in — it’s not understood,” he said. “Even producing, it’s not a craft that’s appreciated right now. In 20 years, people might appreciate it, but [not] right now.”

Listen to “Bald (Remix)” above.

Matt Riddle‘s time in WWE has included a fair amount of off-screen feuds and backstage rumors along with the Original Bro’s in-ring accomplishments. He’s beefed with Goldberg and declared he’ll retire Brock Lesnar, but does he have the kind of backstage heat that could hold back his career? In a recent interview with Sportskeeda, Riddle says he does not. In his words:

I’ll tell you this. Do I have heat with WWE or NXT or the people that run the show? No. Do I have heat with some people who think I’m disrespectful at times because they don’t understand how business works? Yes. Do people take things too seriously? Yes.

And honestly, I’ve had to give talks at NXT, is not like I stopped the place, but it’s like, interjecting. I’m like, ‘Hey. I’m going to tweet or say something that offends you. Realize I’m not trying to actually offend you, I’m just trying to make people think I am. I’m putting out an image, a facade, you know?’

Riddle points out that at the end of the day, his coworkers don’t sign his checks:

If the employer’s happy and I can make them money and make them a profit, and I’m worth my weight and I’m pulling my weight, I don’t see a problem. To answer your question, yes, some people I have heat with. But most of it’s just high school, catty, ‘He said this,’ people who just can’t take a joke or a work.

In the same interview, Riddle gave his take on the booking of the recent Universal Championship reign of Goldberg, who he’s criticized in the past for wrestling unsafely. The NXT Tag Team Champion observed that “If Bray Wyatt wasn’t as good as he is and so charismatic… he wouldn’t be able to survive” the way he lost the title to Goldberg.

Riddle also wasn’t crazy about the way Goldberg lost the title.

I don’t think it was a poor move bringing him back for a match, but to bring him back to win the title, to destroy the character like The Fiend being so unstoppable and then just have Braun Strowman beat him… You know, it doesn’t really do much for Braun Strowman beating him. It’s not like it was a passing of the torch or a great match. It was a couple of spears and a powerslam… As a fan, like yourself and myself, we all agree and every fan that watched that, even if they wanted Braun to win or whatever, was disappointed.

Making a great plate of nachos is a mix of solid ingredients and layering. Don’t forget that word, folks, “layering.” The best nachos you’ve had were the “best” because they were layered. You got an even distribution. And, yes, also because the right ingredients were used from the cheese to the protein.

What makes nachos so damn good is that the dish kind of has it all. They’re a blissful matrix of crunchy, gooey, crisp, and soft textures with umami, cheesy, tangy, acidic, sweet, and savory flavors. You can also shove them in your mouth quite easily, usually by the handful.

The thing is, with so many factors involved, the opportunity to mess things up is high. Choose the wrong chips and welcome to soggy town. Choose the wrong cheese and you’ll be abandoned at the table. Go cheap on the protein and you might as well pack it in. So here are some hard and fast rules for making the perfect plate of Tex-Mex nachos just in time for you to share with your quarantine crew on Cinco.

1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHIPS

We’re not making Chilaquiles here. And while I love me a good breakfast with a heaping plate of tortilla chips smothered in red sauce, stewed meat, and melty queso, that ain’t nachos.

Nachos require a sturdy corn chip. Toasted Corn Doritos work well here. The heavy dose of corn and saltiness is the perfect savory base for nachos. Santitas are another great option. Tostitos tend to be a little thin. You want a chip that has heft and a high “soaking up all that salsa”-point. Corn chips tend to crisp up nicely, due to all the oils in the chip adding a crispy roasted dimension that helps a plate of nachos shine.

Plus, a sturdy corn chip is strong enough to hold up to the weight of the toppings. The last thing you want is a thin tortilla chip that shatters every time you dig into your nachos. That’s just the worst.

2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHEESE

Good cheese is crucial to any plate of nachos. You’ll want to focus on a mild and sharp semi-hard cheese here — avoid funky, soft, and super-hard cheeses.

I like to use a mix of equal parts Monterey Jack and mild yellow cheddar. The Jack cheese has a good melting point and serves as more of a base for the stringy and melty aspects of the nachos. The cheddar is all about taste. It’s an umami hit that amps up the middle-of-the-road flavor of the Jack. The mild yellow cheddar also brings a nice balance of orange to the Jack’s white, to give your dish that “classic nachos” look.

3. CHOOSE ONE PROTEIN

When it comes to toppings, don’t overdo it. You don’t need carnitas, asada, and black beans all on your nachos. It’s too much for the chips to handle. Choose one great flavor and do that one well. You can, of course, kill it with some dope shredded pork, adobe prawns, or even Taco Tuesday ground beef. You do you.

I like to go with either stewed and spicy black beans or braised steak. In this case, the steak was the way to go as no vegetarians were dropping by. I seared the steak with toasted spices (allspice, smokey anchos chili powder, and cumin) and then braised it with a cup of beef stock. Once the stock is braised off, I did a rough chop on the meat and then fried it up in pork lard to add a crispness. It becomes a crisp and tender umami bomb. It’s also really hard not to straight-up just eat the steak at this point.

4. ALWAYS LAYER

Layering is key. Chips. Cheese. Chips. Steak. Cheese. The bottom layer of chips and cheese add that dimension to a plate of nachos that takes it from good to great. And, honestly, what dish isn’t better with an extra layer of melted cheese in the middle? Yeah, none.

Pop that dish in the oven on a lower heat (around 325F) and let slowly bake for a good 15-20 minutes. You want the cheese to melt while the chips have a chance to just start to crisp up a bit.

Once you’ve reached the look below, you’re ready to top.

5. CHOOSE YOUR TOPPINGS WISELY

I like to live by the rule of three with a lot of food. For instance, never top a pizza, burger, or nachos with more than three extra toppings after the cheese. It will get too muddled and a lot of the distinct flavors will get lost in the mix.

I go with sour cream for a silky smooth and, well… sour and creamy texture and taste. Then I like to choose a sweet and spicy salsa. I go with classic mango habanero. It’s got an interesting texture and sweetness thanks to the mango yet still hits the classic fresh salsa (or even pico de gallo) marks with the red onion, cilantro, chili, tomato, lime, and plenty of good salt. It’s refreshing, tart, sweet, very spicy, and acidic.

Lastly, a dollop of guacamole is a must. Don’t go overboard here. Make classic guacamole — a couple of Haas avocados, plenty of cilantro, red onion, cumin, lime, tomatoes, and a generous pinch of good salt. The guacamole adds that lush aspect to the whole dish which counterpoints the crunch, cheese, protein, sour, tart, acid, umami, and sweet. It ties the whole plate together like The Dude’s rug.

Don’t be afraid to dollop these right on top of the nachos with a good sprinkling of fresh cilantro. Get those hands dirty. After all, quarantine won’t last much longer — get messy while it’s still totally socially appropriate!

This article was previously published in a different form.

In season 2, episode 11 of The Sopranos (aka episode 211) everyone is trapped. Junior is trapped in house arrest, trapped in his old body, and trapped in the garbage disposal. Dr. Melfi is trapped treating Tony and trapped in a spiral of alcoholism. Tony is trapped with Richie Aprile in his family and in being the boss. It’s both probably the most Scorsese episode and the first episode where Dr. Melfi’s storyline is one of the better ones. Dr. Melfi’s son, the intellectual Napoleon Dynamite, even makes a brief appearance, in a scene that is an absolute masterpiece of classic Sopranos comedy, where every character is uniquely terrible.

Joining us this week is Twitter-lebrity (*dodges tomato*) and huge Soprano-head Bobby Bigwheel, helping us talk through all your favorite Pod Yourself A Gun segments, from Bada B Stories, Da Real Gangsta, It’s The 90s, Malapropism Corner, and Gabba Va Vongool. We also answer your listener voicemails.

As always, your Pod Yourself A Gun hosts are Matt Lieb from Newsbroke and me, Vince Mancini. You can leave us an email at [email protected] or a voicemail at 415 275 0030. Don’t forget to leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. We hope you love every minute of it, and until next week, don’t stop believin’.

Thanks to a very revealing teaser, it’s no longer a secret that David Harbour‘s Chief Hopper survived the ending of Stranger Things 3, and fans of the show can expect to see the chain-smoking sheriff punching faces in Russia whenever the Netflix series returns. (Production is currently on hiatus like most everything in Hollywood.)

While the details of Stranger Things 4 are being kept tightly under wraps, IndieWire has discovered recently unearthed footage of Harbour from the Liverpool Comic-Con in March where the actor dropped some revealing news about the upcoming season. According to Harbour, the Duffer Brothers seeded some very specific clues in Hopper’s attic where Eleven found boxes labeled “Dad,” “Vietnam,” and “New York.” What those three words mean to Hopper’s backstory will be explored in season four.

“I’m so excited about revealing this aspect of the character,” Harbour added. “It’s one of the things that I’ve known since the first frame of the first shot, and we haven’t expressed it yet. And finally we’re gonna express it in a big way. It’s my favorite thing about him that you guys don’t know about him yet, but it has to do with these backstories of New York, Vietnam, and dad. And I’m really excited for you guys to know more about that, and it relates, of course, to things he’s doing with Eleven and Joyce and things like that.”

As for the teaser showing Hopper being held prisoner in Russia, Harbour recently addressed Marvel and Stranger Things fans who came up with an interesting theory that tied Harbour’s sheriff to his upcoming role as Red Guardian in Black Widow.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Harbour sympathized with eagle-eyed fans and genuinely felt bad for how the whole thing looks. “I know, it is a very surprising, annoying coincidence, and I apologize to the entire internet,” he said. “There is no rhyme or reason for it, I promise you.”

(Via IndieWire)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the anticipated new album from Car Seat Headrest, a riotous track from Pup, and a dance-ready number from Jessy Lanza.

While we’re at it, sign up for the Indie Mixtape newsletter via the form below if you want the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every week.

Car Seat Headrest — Making A Door Less Open

Topping off our list of the best new indie music this week, Car Seat Headrest has returned with his first new music since 2016’s endlessly impressive Teens Of Denial. Since 2016, Will Toledo spent most of his time re-recording his 2011 album Twin Fantasy for an updated version. It was cool, but definitely didn’t replace the desire for something truly new to sink our teeth into. Enter Making A Door Less Open, a record that Steven Hyden writes “succeeds modestly because Toledo opts to not top his masterwork, instead carving a deliberately bumpier, less consistent path beyond it. This won’t be your favorite CSH record, but it will probably be the one you’re tempted to defend as ‘underrated.’”

Diet Cig — Do You Ever Wonder About Me?

After kicking off the year with a teaser of new music, Diet Cig has returned with Do You Wonder About Me?. Anchored by Alex Luciano’s infectious vocal stylings and Noah Bauman’s powerful percussion, the duo tears through ten power-pop tracks that showcase the band’s finest songwriting to date. It’s an album about lost love, but Do You Ever Wonder About Me? is bursting with enough love itself to make you feel warm.

Boston Manor — Glue

On the heavier end of the spectrum, UK punks Boston Manor’s third LP is peppered with riffs and hooks that pull from the peak of Britpop, with distortion pedals kicked all the way into high gear. It’s reflective and aggressive, diving into many of the issues plaguing the world today (including the fear and effects of isolation), resulting in a powerful statement from one of the UK’s brightest punk acts.

Petey — High Life From The Bottle On The Beach

One of the most exciting new projects we’ve come across recently, the latest EP from Petey features two versions of the same song, but they don’t sound anything alike. The highlight here is “More To Life Than Baseball,” one of those songs that is able to capture even the most passive listener and force them to rewind and listen again.

Pup — “Anaphylaxis”

In their first sampling of new music since last year’s epic Morbid Stuff, Pup tells the story of getting attacked by killer bees. As such, it’s “a song about fear, anxiety, and allergies,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx. In typical Pup fashion, however, the song rollicks and thrashes until there’s almost nothing left.

2nd Grade — “Dennis Hopper In Easy Rider”

The latest entry from this exciting Philly upstart group, “Dennis Hopper In Easy Rider” is a breezy indie-pop tune that arrives just in time for the weather to warm up. Sonically and thematically, this one is interesting too: Carolyn Droke writes for Uproxx that “a catchy guitar riff provides an open space for lead singer Peter Gill’s lighthearted musings where he recites his ABC’s and lists off the cast members in the 1969 cult classic film.”

Jessy Lanza — “Face”

With the officially announcement of her third album All The Time, dance-ready producer Jessy Lanza has shared the shuffling new single “Face.” It’s a fitting preview of the party-bound (if there are ever parties again) album, wherein “crunchy synths and digital tones are at the forefront of Lanza’s off-kilter track,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Retirement Party — “Compensation”

The second single from Retirement Party’s upcoming LP Runaway Dog is accompanied by one of the most anxiety-inducing videos I’ve ever seen. The band’s van rolls thru the desert while the members climb out of the window and onto the roof, where they play the track atop of a moving vehicle. It’s fitting for a track that’s about weighing the possible financial benefits of letting a car hit you. “I’ll always know to look both ways before I cross the road / If I get hit all that means is compensation,” Avery Springer sings on the chorus.

Khruangbin — “Time (You And I)”

After blowing our minds with their collaborative project with Leon Bridges earlier this year, Texas trio Khruangbin has announced their third full-length album Mordechai and shared the endlessly funky new track “Time (You And I).” One of the more exciting tracks heard this year, “Time (You And I)” is another entry in “the group’s cross-genre catalog and is peppered with influences spanning from reggae to East Asian surf-rock,” Carolyn Droke writes for Uproxx.

Samia — “Is There Something In The Movies?”

Her first official release of 2020 after a string of singles last year, Samia’s “Is There Something In The Movies?” is what Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx a “heart-tugging track,” one that discloses Samia’s ever-present feeling of disenchantment in the music industry and showcases her gorgeous, swooning vocals.

Remo Drive — “Star Worship”

In 2017, Midwestern indie rocking brothers Erik and Stephen Paulson released Natural, Everyday Degradation, a fun effort full of bops and riffs that gained them a solid following. Coming from the DIY punk scene, Remo Drive has a big of a lighter touch that gives them an edge to grow outside the scene. “Star Worship” previews their new album A Portrait Of An Ugly Man and continues on the indie-rock trend, a track that sounds more like Modest Mouse than Modern Baseball.

Fenne Lily — “To Be A Woman Pt. 2”

A month after “Hypochondriac,” her debut single with venerable indie label Dead Oceans, 23-year-old singer-songwriter Fenne Lily has returned with “To Be A Woman Pt. 2,” a track that shows her songwriting versatility. “While ‘Hypochondriac’ was a peaceful tune,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx, “‘To Be A Woman Pt. 2’ is less restrained in its approach, carried by its calm rumbling verses that lead to storms of guitar.” Get in early and add Fenne Lily to your Artist To Watch list for 2020.

Sweet Whirl — “Patterns Of Nature”

Another impressive project coming out of Australia, Sweet Whirl’s new album How Much Works is already shaping up to be one of 2020’s best. Esther Edquist calls the tender piano-based number a “Carole King moment,” featuring gorgeous vocal harmonies and light percussion beneath Edquist’s contemplative lyrics that deal with the desire to resist traditional gender roles in a relationship.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Inglewood natives D Smoke, SiR, and Issa Rae team up to stick up a strip club owner in the Jack Begert-directed video for D Smoke’s Black Habits single, “Lights On.” While the video tells a relatively straightforward story, it does so in reverse, opening with the three stars making a dramatic getaway and narrowly avoiding retribution for their daring robbery and follows Issa in the role of a fed-up stripper who sticks up her boss with a gun in her purse.

D Smoke, the winner of Netflix’s first season of Rhythm + Flow after impressing hosts Cardi B, Chance The Rapper, T.I., and guest judge Snoop Dogg, has been steadily rolling out videos from his 2020 debut album, including title track “Black Habits” and the aggressive “Gaspar Yanga,” solidifying his spot in the rap game after his splashy entrance on Rhythm + Flow. Meanwhile, his brother SiR recently dropped the animated video for his Chasing Summer single “John Redcorn,” reimagining the members of Black Hippy as characters from the cartoon sitcom, King Of The Hill.

As for Issa Rae, you won’t see her sticking up any strip clubs in real life. She was recently announced as executive producer on another new show at HBO alongside Dwayne Johnson, even as her own Insecure continues to dominate the social media discussion despite competing for eyeballs with ESPN’s Michael Jordan miniseries The Last Dance. She’s also the producer on an HBO Max show about a female rap group that sounds a lot like the origin story of City Girls by way of Dave or Atlanta. It’s safe to say all three stars of “Lights On” have been enjoying the spotlight and making plenty of money thanks to their various skills.

Watch D Smoke’s “Lights On” video above.

One fun aspect of The Last Dance, ESPN’s 10-part docuseries on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, is that it has given media folks from that era the opportunity to tell a bunch of delightful stories. One of the people most well-equipped to do this has been Ahmad Rashad, who served as the longtime host of NBC’s NBA Inside Stuff.

Unlike most broadcasters or reporters from that era, who had professional relationships with Jordan, the former Pro Bowl wide receiver struck up a legitimate friendship with the Bulls’ star, something that comes through a whole lot in interviews given by Rashad. Not everything can make it into the documentary, though, so on Tuesday, Rashad took to Twitter to discuss something he saw first-hand during his time around Jordan and the Dream Team.

As Rashad told it, he was in a hotel room with Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and Magic Johnson. The group discussed who had the best team — Bird, as Rashad tells it, told Barkley and Ewing they can’t lay claim to this due to their lack of championships — before moving onto a conversation about which of Bird, Johnson, and Jordan was the best player, with two members of that group getting especially into it with one another.

“Michael and Magic got into it,” Rashad recalls. “They were talking back and forth with each other, and it was really funny. I was sitting over there with Larry Bird and we were just watching. Then finally, Michael gets very upset and says, ‘Listen, all I’m telling you — I’m telling you, Larry, and I’m telling you, Magic — if you don’t quit, every time I see you next year, I am busting your ass. When I come to your arena, I’m busting your ass. I’m warning you right now, you better quit.’”

Rashad says that eventually, Bird told Johnson that they “were then,” while Jordan “is now.” It is a marvelous story, one that touches on something that episode five of The Last Dance covered: The Dream Team, in a way, served as Bird and Johnson passing the baton to Jordan as he became the face of the league. Jordan didn’t get a chance to specifically go head-to-head with Bird and Johnson the following season — Bird announced his retirement shortly after the Olympics, while Johnson had already retired — but Chicago did go on to win a championship, so things worked out quite well for him.

The Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation in the southwestern U.S. have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. With a third of the population having no running water, proper virus-avoiding hygiene is nearly impossible. Access to groceries is limited, and the community has a high number of elderly and individuals with health conditions that put them at higher risk of complications from the virus.

A GoFundMe fundraiser was organized on behalf of the Rural Utah Project Education Fund to raise money for groceries, water, health supplies, and other necessary items in these Native communities. And this week, they have received a huge influx of donations from a seemingly unlikely source—Ireland.

If you’re wondering what would prompt part of an island across the Atlantic to send money to a specific community in the U.S., the answer is simple. Gratitude.

In 1847, the Choctaw and Navajo people were struggling to get established after being forced to relocate from their homelands during the cruel and shameful Trail of Tears. The tribes had suffered greatly and had very little. But when they heard about the suffering of the Irish people during the potato famine, they pulled together a donation of $170—around $5000 in today’s dollars—to send to Ireland.

That collective act of sacrificial generosity was not forgotten. And now people in Ireland are repaying that gift many times over in a beautiful expression of historic human connectedness.

The GoFundMe currently sits at more than $1.8 million of a $2 million goal, thanks in no small part to a flood of donations from Ireland. And as the donations of $10, $20, $30 keep rolling in, Irish people are leaving lovely messages of gratitude, solidarity, and hope along with them:

“Ireland remembers the Navajo kindness in her hour of need.”

“In remembrance of the kindness shown to my country by your fellow native Americans, the Choctaw people, during a time of dire need. Gach rath oraibh uilig.” [Translation: “Best of luck to you all.”]

“I donated because when you had nothing, you gave something to help Ireland.”

“Yá’át’ééh from Ireland. The Native American donation all those years ago was never forgotten. There have been songs written about your generosity. I am glad to be able to return the favour in some small part. Ahóá!”

Vanessa Tulley, one of the fundraiser organizers, acknowledged the outpouring of love and money coming from Ireland in an update:

“Several of our recent donations for our GoFundMe campaign have been inspired by the Great Hunger Famine in Ireland which started in 1845.

During this difficult time, in 1847, the Choctaw Nation provided $170 of relief aid to the Irish to help them (today that is the equivalent of $5,000). Not long before the Great Hunger Famine in Ireland, 60,000 Native Americans, including the Choctaw people, had suffered through the experience of the Trail of Tears. The death of many people on the Trail of Tears sparked empathy for the Irish people in their time of need. Thus, the Choctaw extended $170 of relief aid.

173 years later to today, the favor is returned through generous donations from the Irish people to the Navajo Nation during our time of crisis. A message from Irish donor, Pat Hayes, sent from Ireland across the ocean: “From Ireland, 170 years later, the favour is returned! To our Native American brothers and sisters in your moment of hardship.”

The heartache is real. We have lost so many of our sacred Navajo elders and youth to COVID-19. It is truly devastating. And a dark time in history for our Nation. In moments like these, we are so grateful for the love and support we have received from all around the world. Acts of kindness from indigenous ancestors passed being reciprocated nearly 200 years later through blood memory and interconnectedness.Thank you, IRELAND, for showing solidarity and being here for us.”

Absolutely beautiful. Humanity wins the day once again.

If you’d like to donate to help the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation in their COVID-19 fight, you can find the GoFundMe here.