10-04-2025
DOGE cuts hit Native Hawaiian programs
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The recent funding cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could have a devastating impact on humanities programs across Hawaiʻi.
These cuts target the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), a crucial source of support for local organizations that preserve and promote Hawaiʻi's rich cultural heritage.
The NEH has been a vital part of Hawaiʻi's community life and has been funding programs that enrich public education, strengthen local history and foster cultural understanding.
Since 2020, NEH has granted more than $9.3 million to support 42 humanities projects in Hawaiʻi. Aside from the money infusing Hawaiʻi's economy, the support has benefited iconic institutions such as the Bishop Museum, Hawaiʻi Community College and Iolani Palace.
These grants help organizations engage with the public, foster education and preserve Hawaiʻi's history, while also supporting local tourism economies.
According to Mark Ombrello, a history faculty member at the University of Hawai'i at Kaua'i and board member of the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities (HCH), the proposed cuts are part of a larger trend of federal institutions being targeted for defunding.
Ombrello warned, 'This cut is part of a larger assault on longstanding federal institutions that strengthen our freedom and democracy through education—following recent Executive Orders targeting the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Department of Education. Collectively, these cuts will drastically impact the services that humanities organizations across our islands provide to their communities.'
These cuts would not only affect larger institutions but also local organizations like the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities (HCH), which partners with NEH to serve local communities.
HCH was established in 1972 and has worked tirelessly to enrich the lives of Hawaiʻi residents by funding humanities programs and providing grants that support a wide range of community-driven projects.
In 2024 alone, HCH funded more than $905,000 in local programs and events that reached more than 33,500 people across Hawaiʻi.
One such program, Hawaiʻi History Day. This program helps teach students about the history and civics of Hawai'i and provides professional development for educators and classroom materials.
In 2025, the program will partner with 46 public, private and charter schools across the state to reach grades 4-12 students. Other programs, such as the Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate program, allow Hawai'i's diverse communities to engage with social issues through storytelling, creativity and poetry.
Another essential program supported by NEH is Try Think, which organizes humanities-based conversations at correctional facilities. These conversations allow incarcerated individuals and community members to connect as a means of reducing public stigma against those involved in the criminal justice system and providing a pathway for successful reintegration into society.
Try Think has programs year-round at three correctional facilities on Oʻahu. These include the Women's Community Correctional Center, the only women's prison in Hawai'i.
For those focused on the preservation of Hawaiʻi's culture, the cuts could halt the critical work being done by local organizations to preserve oral histories and historical Hilo, the Lyman House Memorial Museum received an NEH grant to digitize 13 ledgers from 1896 to 1950. These papers offered valuable insights into Hawaiʻi's medical history.
The East Hawai'i Cultural Center also received funding for a project to collect personal histories about the Hilo police department. The program is meant to help to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.
On Molokaʻi, the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities supported projects like the Kalaupapa Portraits Identification Project that is helping to redefine the narrative of Kalaupapa by identifying and preserving historical photographs.
Additionally, the HCH funded the 'Ho'ohui Maka'i' project. It explores food and cooking stories by multicultural women of Molokaʻi and engages the community in educational discussions to preserve the island's culinary traditions.
The potential cuts threaten to disrupt this vital work, leading to a loss of jobs, reduced services, reduced economic influx into the state's economy and halted projects.
According to Kehaulani Costa, chair of the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities Board, 'The humanities help us reflect on the past, imagine the future, and connect across our differences. We need the humanities in housing and social services, in development, in community planning. Valuing histories, cultures, and stories benefit all our sectors.'
This situation is especially dire for Indigenous communities in Hawai'i. Many of the funded projects highlight Native Hawaiian culture and history that include those addressing the legacy of the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and support the revitalization of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻi's indigenous language) and traditions.
One such program supported by HCH is the creation of a children's book about the traditional Portuguese bread-baking process in Kona. This book continues to be used to teach K-12 students about life in 1890s Kona as it ensures future generations understand and appreciate their local history.
On Kaua'i, a $10,000 grant to Kaua'i Museum will support a new interactive storytelling exhibition about the history of Kānaka Maoli, further strengthening the connection between Hawai'i's Native people and their land. This is part of a broader effort to preserve and share the history of Hawai'i's Indigenous communities.
Aiko Yamashiro, the executive director of HCH, emphasized the importance of humanities programs in creating stronger communities.
'Good governance and strong communities value critical thinking, reflection, and connection. We need increased cross-sector collaboration to navigate this federal funding crisis, and turn back to true community power and voices,' she explained. 'The humanities have a lot to offer. We value many voices and stories, empathy and critical thinking. We connect people to land, history, culture, and each other.'
The upcoming federal funding cuts will affect more than just academic programs; they threaten the cultural fabric of Hawai'i. Programs that preserve and share Native Hawaiian stories, histories and traditions will be especially vulnerable.
For example, HCH's support for oral history projects, such as the Maui Wildfires Oral History Project, directly contributes to understanding the role of water in Hawai'i's past, present and future.
These projects preserve Hawai'i's indigenous knowledge and protect the stories of those who lived through significant events.
As Hawai'i faces these challenges, it is crucial for community members to advocate for the humanities. One way to help is by contacting Congressional senators and representatives and sharing why these programs matter.
The humanities provide education and a space for communities to reflect, connect and grow together. Without these programs, Hawai'i's cultural heritage and local communities will suffer.
The potential loss of funding could also affect local tourism economies, which benefit from historical sites and cultural programs that attract visitors to Hawai'i. With tourism being a significant part of Hawai'i's economy, the effects of these cuts will be felt far beyond the humanities community.
In response to these challenges, the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities urged individuals to take action. They are asking that Hawaiʻi residents write letters to our senators and representatives and urge them to prioritize funding for public humanities in order to make one step toward protecting these essential programs.
The fight to preserve funding for humanities programs in Hawai'i is ongoing. It's a fight for the preservation of culture, history, and community.
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As Kehaulani Costa said, 'We connect people to land, history, culture, and each other.' Without support, these connections could be lost.
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