Native Hawaiian Issues
Hawai‘i’s rich culture stems from its people and is centered on family values that include respect for our seniors and a responsibility to care for the needs of our children. Strong multi-generational bonds connect family members, enrich our communities and unite our state. Our culture places a significant value on the place and people that make Hawai‘i our home.
Native Hawaiians continue to make invaluable contributions to our state and to the nation, sharing their traditional knowledge and understanding of biodiversity and sustainability; creating unique and vibrant art forms that define Hawai`i and are enjoyed globally; and preserving and revitalizing the Hawaiian language and creating native language education programs that serve as aspirational models worldwide. The greatest and most enduring gift, however, remains the legacy and power of aloha.
Senator Schatz is working hard to maintain federal funding for Native Hawaiian programs designed to reverse persistent education, health and housing disparities. He has introduced legislation to address unmet housing needs, promote Native Hawaiian homeownership, empower Native Hawaiian homesteaders to plan for their families, honor Native Hawaiian military veterans and expand opportunities for Native Hawaiian small business concerns.
Senator Schatz chose to deliver his maiden Senate floor speech on King Kamehameha Day and lamented that 20 years after the enactment of the Apology Resolution, the federal government has not yet acted to provide a process for reorganizing a Native Hawaiian governing entity. He stressed that this inaction has put Native Hawaiians at a unique disadvantage. Of the three major groups of Native people indigenous to what is now the United States—American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians— only Native Hawaiians currently lack the right of self-determination. Senator Schatz will continue to build upon the accomplishments of his predecessors to fight this great injustice.
Senator Schatz is committed to improving the lives of Native Hawaiian families, advancing Native Hawaiian community prosperity and working to create a better future for all who call Hawai‘i home.
- Schatz, Hirono Announce Over $3 Million For Non-Profit Organizations In Hawaii Posted on 09/30/14
- Senate Passes Bill to Improve Child Care Posted on 03/13/14
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Schatz Native American Veterans' Memorial Bill Signed Into Law by President Posted on 12/26/13
On O`ahu today, President Barack Obama signed into law legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), the Native American Memorial Amendments Act of 2013, to pave the way forward for a long-awaited Native American Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
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Schatz Native American Veterans Memorial Bill Headed to President Posted on 12/20/13
The U.S. Senate last night unanimously passed the Native American Memorial Amendments Act of 2013, introduced by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), paving the way forward for a long-awaited Native American Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in nbsp;Schatz’s legislation to facilitate construction of the Native American Veterans’ Memorial has already passed the House of Representatives and now goes to President Obama for his signature as he heads home to Hawai‘i.
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Schatz Announces Over $1.5 Million for Native Hawaiian Programs Posted on 09/27/13
Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced $1.56 million from the Department of Health and Human Services for Native Hawaiian programs aimed at developing sustainable agriculture, creating stronger families, and expanding job opportunities by funding community-based projects.
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Domestic Violence Action Center to Receive Grant to Combat Native Hawaiian Domestic Violence Posted on 09/26/13
Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced the Department of Health & Human Services’ (DHHS) Administration for Children and Families will award $157,142 for the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC) in Honolulu.
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Schatz Announces $1.1 Million for Native Hawaiian Financial Assistance Posted on 09/19/13
Today, Senator Brian Schatz announced that the Queens Federal Credit Union in Honolulu and Hawaii First Federal Credit Union in Kamuela will receive a total of $1,183,000 in Financial Assistance (FA) awards from the Department of the Treasury’s Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) for fiscal year 2013.
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