Seven organizations with a mission to preserve and share native Hawaiian culture and traditions will share $1 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Interior.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced the funding made possible by the Native Act, a 2016 piece of legislation he authored to promote cultural tourism.
“Everyone who visits Hawaii should understand and appreciate native Hawaiian culture, and this funding will help give local organizations the resources they need to preserve and share these important traditions,” Schatz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, said in a release from his office.
The funding is part of the Interior Department’s Opportunities in Hawaii Program, which helps create jobs, increase living standards and expand economic opportunities for native Hawaiian communities.
The list of organizations to receive the funding include: ʻAoʻao o Nā Loko Iʻa o Maui, for the Kōʻieʻie Fishpond Visitor Engagement Program; Hanalei River Heritage Foundation, for the I Mana Ka ‘Āina Visitor Engagement Program; Hiʻipaka LLC, for Hōʻihi no Waimea; Moanalua Garden Foundation Inc.; Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association; PAʻI Foundation, for Nānā I Ke Kumu: Look to the Source; and Waiʻanae Economic Development Council, for E Mau Ke Asʻo: Sustaining the Cultural Practitioner.