Hawaiian Historical Society receives $25,000 from OHA to support education

Hawaiian Historical Society has received $25,000 from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs as part of the Kākoʻo Grant Program awards. This award is intended to strengthen community organizations, like HHS, in order to strategically plan for the future of better serving its Native Hawaiian communities.

Established in 1892, HHS is a nonprofit, membership-based organization, library and archives. Queen Liliʻuokalani was the first royal patroness of HHS, which was founded during her reign.

For over 131 years, HHS remains dedicated to preserving historical materials, presenting public lectures, and publishing scholarly research on the history of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. HHS’ objective is to encourage and support the community to seek ʻike or knowledge, to engage with historical materials and to provide a pathway to share with others. These efforts align with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ vision of working together to uplift our lāhui in order to preserve, perpetuate, and protect Hawaiian culture and support OHA’s work in educational pathways.

HHS has a long standing history in publishing material both in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, including the Ke Kupu Hou, Hawaiian Language Reprint Series and The Hawaiian Journal of History. Funding from this grant will assist in the publication of the HHS’ annual Historical Calendar-an educational tool that remains integral in providing historical data on Hawaiʻi for the public.

Current HHS President Julian Keikilani Ako said, “In service to the community, HHS fulfills an important role in the preservation of sources of ʻike (knowledge) relating to the history of Native Hawaiians and we are extremely grateful to OHA for this grant which will help us with this ongoing work.”

This one-year grant will also assist HHS with its administrative operations, allowing HHS to continue to navigate relationships with the Native Hawaiian communities and respond to its current and future needs.

Funding from OHA supports HHS’ legacy of preserving, publishing, and presenting on the history of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific as well as HHS’ commitment to advancing accessibility and visibility for its historical collections.