The U.S. Interior Department announced $1 million in funding for Native Hawaiian organizations across the state through the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Grant Program.
Also known as HŌʻIHI, a word meaning "to treat with reverence and respect," the program works to fund local organizations' efforts to create ethical relationships between Native Hawaiian cultural practices and tourism.
The funding is made possible by the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act. The legislation allows Indigenous communities to participate and reach national tourism industry goals.
Tourism is a major economic driver in Hawaiʻi that has long been experienced by the Native Hawaiian community as extractive and transactional.
NATIVE Act funding equips Native Hawaiian organizations with resources to change that experience in ways mutually beneficial to malihini and the islands’ original stewards.
Native Hawaiian organizations wishing to apply for the grant must be registered nonprofits that specifically serve Native Hawaiians.
Proposals should include detailed plans on how the funding would help with Native Hawaiian preservation and revitalization in the state.
Grants will range from $50,000 to $200,000 and can be utilized for up to 3 years from the date of award, according to the DOI.
The deadline to apply is June 21. More information is available online at www.doi.gov/hawaiian.
