DOGE threatens Hawaiʻi culture with cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is targeting the National Endowment for the Humanities with the aim of substantially reducing its staff, cutting the agency’s grant programs, and rescinding grants that have already been awarded. DOGE’s cuts threaten a small federal agency that has a positive impact on every congressional district.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is tasked by Congress to provide humanities access to all Americans, and Congress has appropriated funds for that purpose. DOGE’s cuts threaten a small federal agency and imperil its ability to perform functions mandated by Congress that has a positive impact on every congressional district.

The NEH grants support Kindergarten through 12th grade education and lifelong learning, provide programs for veterans, foster community dialogue, preserve local and national history, and strengthen local tourism economies.

NEH also funds organizations such as libraries, museums, historical sites, and cultural institutions, and partners with state and jurisdictional humanities councils to help reach every congressional district.

In Hawai‘i, NEH’s partner is the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, which was established in 1972 to enrich lives, broaden perspectives, and strengthen communities through the public humanities.

In 2024, Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities engaged 33,531 people through 209 events and invested over $905,000 into our local economy through grants, programs, and partnerships. 

These public humanities projects have supported social change and reflection, including:

• 1976 project of Kabaatan community gatherings exploring issues affecting the education of Filipino Youth in Hawai‘i by the Filipino Volunteers in Hawai‘i and the Fil-American Student Association
• 1978 projects on culture-based approaches to social work and care of our aging Pacific Islander and Asian populations 
• 1980 first Statewide Conference of Hawaiian Kupuna that helped the establishment of ʻAha Pūnana Leo and other Hawaiian-immersion schools

In addition to community grants, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities’ public programs include:

• Hawaiʻi History Day – A program that supports the teaching of history and civics by providing curriculum, professional development and training, classroom materials, and interscholastic competition at no cost to the community.
  • In 2025, this program served teachers and students grades 4-12 from 46 public, private, and charter schools on Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. 
• Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate program – In partnership with the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, the Council organizes literary events that help diverse voices engage with social issues through storytelling and creativity.
  • On March 28th, the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities partnered with the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaiʻi, Lānaʻi Public & School Library, the National Education Association, Read Across America, the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association, and the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System to fund Micronesian poets, artists, and community scholars to travel from O‘ahu to Lānaʻi for workshops at the high school, community church, and public library.
  • Through poetry workshops, participants connected with ancestral stories to engage with current public health concerns and feel empowered to share their voice and make more informed community choices.
• Try Think – Creates safe and stimulating spaces to bring together incarcerated individuals and community guests for humanities-based conversations that increase empathy, form authentic human connection and community, and reduce public stigma against those involved with the criminal justice system. These support the successful return of individuals to their communities.
  • Try Think provides community activities and year-round programs at three correctional facilities on Oʻahu, including Women’s Community Correctional Center, the only women’s prison in the state.

Significant federal cuts would necessitate pausing or eliminating Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities grant making, loss of jobs in this eight-person organization, and severe reduction in services to the public, including to teachers and students. 

“The humanities help us reflect on the past, imagine the future, and connect across our differences. We need the humanities in housing and social services, in development, in community planning,” said Kehaulani Costa, Chair of the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities Board. “Valuing histories, cultures, and stories benefit all our sectors.”

Examples of public humanities programming and resources on Hawaiʻi include:

• $4,500 Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities grant to Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hilo to “Preserve and Share Hilo’s Pharmacy Past: Hilo Pharmacy ledgers.”
  • To conserve and digitize 13 ledgers dated from 1896–1950, offering insight into medical history, pandemics, and daily life.
• $10,000 Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities grant to East Hawai‘i Cultural Center, Hilo, “Community Perspectives on Policing.”
  • To support UH-Hilo criminology students’ research to gather personal histories about the Hilo police department and their role in the community, also, support for educational outreach about students’ research findings. 
• $2,500 Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities grant to Kona Historical Society, Kealakekua, “Baking Traditional Portuguese Bread Children’s Book.”
  • Created a children’s book about the Portuguese bread baking process and how important the bread was in 1890s Kona. The book continues to be used to teach K-12 students about life in 1890s Kona today.  
• A 2024 historical walking tour and community discussion of the future of Keaukaha.
  • In collaboration with Keaukaha elders and community leaders, involving policymakers, grassroots organizations, educators, students, and hotel industry leaders to engage with histories and their lessons about community values and future development directions.

“We need increased cross-sector collaboration to navigate this federal funding crisis, and turn back to true community power and voices,” said Aiko Yamashiro, Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities Executive Director. “The humanities have a lot to offer. We value many voices and stories, empathy and critical thinking. We connect people to land, history, culture, and each other. The actions of the humanities build a more caring and responsible community.”

According to NEH, the best way to stop the cuts is to share with congressional senators and representatives why the public humanities matter to you. You can find up to date ways to take action here. 

To learn more about Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, visit hihumanities.org.