The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is accepting applications for its Iwi Kupuna Repatriation and Reinterment grants and Ahahui grants programs, with approximately $344,000 available between the two programs.
The OHA allotted $144,079 recently to make grants available for either the protection of existing burial sites or the reburial of iwi kūpuna (ancestral bones), according to an OHA press release. Grants will range from $5,000 to a maximum of $50,000.
Applications for iwi kūpuna grants are due to the OHA no later than 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, according to the release.
Some examples of the costs the grants can support include “the purchase of ceremonial and reburial materials including temporary storage containers to hold iwi until reburial; transportation costs to facilitate repatriation and reinterment objectives; construction costs for burial vaults to hold the iwi; repatriation research; and training for community members, cultural descendants and other advocates,” according to the release.
In addition, the OHA has allotted $200,000 to Ahahui grants, which support nonprofits organizations in creating community events, according to the release.
Eligible events must be open to the larger community and offered at no cost, according to the release. However, the grants cannot be used for fundraisers, awards events or recognition events.
Grant awards under the program may be as much as $10,000, and events have to take place from July through the end of the year, according to the release.
Given COVID-19 restrictions, the OHA recognized that events of the size offered with the support of previous grants will be unlikely to be possible, and encouraged applicants to apply their “creativity, innovation and technical savvy” to create proposals for events that will still work within pandemic restrictions.
Ahahui grant applications are due no later than Friday, March 12 at 2 p.m., according to the release.
Additional information about applying for OHA grants and what other grants are available can be found at oha.org/grants.