Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 5, 1 May 2023 — DOI Announces $1 Million in Funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations [ARTICLE]

DOI Announces $1 Million in Funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations

V POKE NŪHOU V ^ N EWS BRIEFS *

The Department of the Interior's (DOI) Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR) announced $1 million in funding for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHO) through the HŌ'IHI (Heritage Opprtunities in Hawai'i) Grant Program. The funding is made possible by the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE, Act), whieh has enabled Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals and strategies. This is the second year that funding has been made available to NHOs. Tourism has long been experienced by the Native Hawaiian community as extractive and transactional. NATIVE Act funding equips NHOs across Hawai'i with resources to change that experience in ways mutually heneheial to visitors and the islands' original stewards. ONHR estimates it will award eight HŌ'IHI grants of $50,000 - $200,000. NHOs may use grant funding for up to three years from the date of award and must affirm they are a NHO as defined in the NATIVE Act. For fiscal year 2023, applicants must meet one or more of the following priorities: • Uplift, perpetuate or revive traditional Native Hawaiian practices (e.g., olelo Hawai'i, kapa making, lauhala weaving, hula, etc.) through visitor demonstrations, education or activities; • Support the maintenance, enhancement and protection of Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources, wahi kūpuna, and wahi pana impacted by tourism; • Enahle Native Hawaiian entrepreneurship by creating business opportunities in the visitor industry, offering tourism business development training or stimulating eeonomie activity that empowers Native Hawaiians to have a stake in tourism development; or • Undertake related activities with visitors that convey respect and reafīirm the principle of reciprocation to the plaee, resources and traditional knowledge holders and practitioners. A pre-proposal video conference discussing the solicitation will be held on May 1, 2023. Those wishing to attend should RSVP at: doi_onhr_hhl@ios.doi.gov with the subject header Hō'ihi 2023. Confirmation of meeting date and time will be emailed to pre-registrants and posted to OHNR's website. ■

HOIHI Grant Program Applicants must submit their proposals electronically through Grants. gov no later than June 21, 2023 Additional information is available on ONHR's website at: www.doi.gov/hawaiian