Rep. Tokuda Leads Bipartisan Bill to Secure More Funding for Native Hawaiian Arts & Culture

Rep. Tokuda Leads Bipartisan Bill to Secure More Funding for Native Hawaiian Arts & Culture | U.S. House Representative Jill Tokuda Skip to content Close Home About Biography Our District Votes And Legislation Committees & Caucuses Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus Services Help With A Federal Agency Tours And Tickets Internships Flags Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Military Service Academy Nominations Funding Requests Grant Applications Events Know Your Rights Disaster Assistance Programs for Flooding Victims Community Resources and Flood Response Guidance Media Op-Eds Press Releases In The News Videos Contact Email Me Scheduling Request Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Website Problem Close SEARCH Congresswoman Jill Tokuda About Biography Our District Votes And Legislation Committees & Caucuses Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus Bipartisan Congressional Coffee Caucus Services Help With A Federal Agency Tours And Tickets Internships Flags Art Competition Commendations and Greetings Military Service Academy Nominations Funding Requests Grant Applications Events Know Your Rights Disaster Assistance Programs for Flooding Victims Community Resources and Flood Response Guidance Media Op-Eds Press Releases In The News Videos Contact Email Me Scheduling Request Newsletter Subscribe Office Locations Website Problem Modal Search Button Mobile Site Search Submit Search MENU Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo Home Media Press Releases November 21, 2025 Rep. Tokuda Leads Bipartisan Bill to Secure More Funding for Native Hawaiian Arts & Culture Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) reintroduced a bipartisan bill to clear longstanding administrative hurdles that have limited Native Hawaiian–serving arts and cultural organizations’ access to federal grant opportunities. The Native Arts and Culture Promotion Act streamlines the grant application process for Native Hawaiian-serving organizations by eliminating outdated signatory requirements that currently delay or block applications. Additionally, the bill would remove offensive and unnecessarily restrictive statutory language that limits program accessibility for Alaska Native applicants. “This bill is about ensuring that Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native artists, cultural practitioners, and organizations can access the resources they have always been promised by Congress. By breaking down outdated barriers, we are strengthening the ability of our communities to preserve, teach, and share their arts and cultural traditions on their own terms,” said Rep. Tokuda . “Investing in Native arts and culture isn’t just about honoring the past—it’s about safeguarding the knowledge, creativity, and identity that will carry our Indigenous communities forward for generations.” “Throughout my prior service on the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have worked to expand and fund programs that promote, sustain and honor the culture and art of our nation’s indigenous peoples,” said Rep. Ed Case (HI-01) , cosponsor of the bill. “I’m happy to once again join Rep. Tokuda in this initiative to expand our Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Development Grant Program so that Hawaii’s indigenous peoples can continue to perpetuate traditional knowledge , strengthen their spiritual connection to the land and ancestors and reaffirm their cultural identity and resilience in the modern world.” Established in 1994, the Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development Program provides grants through the National Park Service to support the preservation, study, and instruction of both traditional and contemporary Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian arts and culture. The program also promotes the long-term sustainability of these cultural practices by supporting educational centers, academic programs, and community-based initiatives that cultivate skills, knowledge, and artistic expression for future generations. “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 Janet Bullard, Acting Director of Government Relations for Bishop Museum. In addition to Rep. Case, Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK-At Large) is a cosponsor of the bill. The full text of the bill can be found here . ### Print Email Share Tweet Previous Article Next Article About Services Media Contact Privacy Policy Facebook Logo Twitter Logo BlueSky Logo Youtube Logo Instagram Logo