Schatz leads bipartisan effort to promote native arts and culture

U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, Hawai‘i Democrats, and Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, recently introduced legislation to promote native arts and culture as well as unlock federal funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations.

The bipartisan Native Arts & Culture Promotion Act provides a technical fix to the Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts grant program to ensure Native Hawaiian Organizations can access funding from the program.

“Our bill provides a commonsense fix so that Native Hawaiian Organizations can access millions of dollars in federal funding to deliver vital cultural and educational programs to communities across Hawai‘i,” said Schatz, vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, in an announcement about the new proposed legislation.

The Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts program was established in 1994 and awards grants for scholarly study and instruction in Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native contemporary culture and arts.

However, outdated and restrictive language in the statute limited the ability of Native Hawaiian Organizations to qualify for grant awards.

The new bill introduced by Schatz and his two colleagues clarifies that Native Hawaiian Organizations with a governing board that includes Native Hawaiians or people widely recognized in the field of Native Hawaiian arts and culture are eligible for funding.

“Allowing the National Park Service to award more grants to a greater variety of Native Hawaiian organizations provides a more easily accessible and streamlined process for Native Hawaiian Organizations who are often understaffed and under-resourced to readily submit proposals for their unique initiatives, which perpetuate the storytelling and expression of Native Hawaiian arts and cultural practices,” said Acting Director of Government Relations for Bishop Museum Janet Bullard in the announcement.

Schatz’s bill is supported by University of Hawai‘i, Bishop Museum, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, Hawai‘i Community Foundation and Hawaiian Council.

Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Jill Tokuda and Ed Case.