Native Hawaiian cultural preservation has been a main focus of Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), and last week his efforts paid off as the U.S. Department of the Interior awarded $600,000 in grant funding to organizations supporting this cause, according to a report by KHON2.
The funding is directly related to the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, which is a law introduced by Schatz, who also serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
“Native Hawaiian culture and traditions are foundational to who we are, and every visitor should understand that,” Schatz wrote in an Oct. 22 Facebook post. “This important new federal funding will give local organizations more resources to preserve and share Native Hawaiian culture.”
The NATIVE Act was signed into law in 2016 by former President Barack Obama. According to Schatz's website, it was bipartisan legislation that he and U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) authored, and it was focused on native tourism, cultural tourism and empowering native communities.
He told KHON2 that the funding will improve national parks by providing materials about native names and parts of the island. It will also be used for partner organizations aimed at historic preservation, including documenting and sharing of cultural spots and stories in the state of Hawaii. Schatz feels visitors to the island should be informed about its roots, and this grant money will help organizations do just that.