Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs) have been invited to apply for funding through the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaii program. The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, a division of the US Department of the Interior (DOI), has announced $1 million in funding for this initiative.
"The Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Program seeks to encourage a tourism model that accurately showcases Native Hawaiian culture and traditions while providing protection and awareness for Hawaiʻi's natural and cultural resources," said Joan Mooney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget. ". “These resources provide Indigenous communities with access to resources, technical assistance and grants to build sustainable recreational and cultural travel and tourism infrastructure and capacity, spur economic development and create good jobs."
The Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Program (HŌʻIHI) is now in its third year of operation. The program aims to create a travel and tourism strategy that provides opportunities for NHOs as part of an inclusive national travel and tourism strategy. According to a news release from the DOI, the program awards grants to organizations that utilize Indigenous Knowledge and expertise in Native Hawaiian cultural practices to educate and engage visitors about these cultural practices.
Keʻala Fukuda, Heritage Opportunities in Hawaiʻi Program manager, stated, "We are seeking grant awardees for 2024 who exemplify Hawaiʻi’s overall movement towards regenerative tourism, with projects enhancing Native Hawaiian Community involvement, and presenting culturally mindful education opportunities for kamaʻāina and visitors alike."
This year's grant program may award up to 12 grants, each worth between $75,000 and $200,000. The DOI anticipates that the average grant will be around $100,000. Grant funding may be available for up to three years after it is awarded.
On April 15th at 12 p.m., Hawaii Standard Time, there will be a video conference providing an overview of the Heritage Opportunities in Hawaii Program Grant Program and detailing the grant funding priorities for this year. Ke’alapualoke Fukuda can be contacted via email at kealapualoke_fukuda@ios.doi.gov for further information about the video conference.
According to the HŌʻIHI website, priorities for the 2024 grant program include: uplifting traditional Native Hawaiian practices; supporting maintenance and protection of Hawaiʻi’s natural resources; enhancing entrepreneurial capacity for the Native Hawaiian Community; and undertaking related activities with visitors that convey respect and reaffirm the principle of reciprocation to the place, resources, and traditional knowledge holders and practitioners. Successful applicants will meet one or more of these priorities.
