Expressing support for the designation of February 2025 as "Hawaiian Language Month" or "'Olelo Hawai'i Month".
H. Res. 136 is a non-binding House Resolution introduced on February 13, 2025, expressing formal support for designation of February 2025 as “Hawaiian Language Month” or “Olelo Hawaiʻi Month.” The resolution provides historical context on the Hawaiian language’s near extinction and its subsequent revitalization, highlighting past and ongoing efforts in language immersion, education, and policy recognition. It also situates the proposed month within the framework of federal and state language-revitalization policies, notably the Native American Languages Act and related initiatives, and commits the House to promoting and celebrating the language in alignment with those policies. The bill does not authorize any new programs or funding by itself; its primary effect is to signal congressional support and encourage public celebration and awareness.
Key Points
- 1The resolution designates February 2025 as Hawaiian Language Month or Olelo Hawaiʻi Month, and expresses support for this designation.
- 2It documents the Hawaiian language’s history, including its roots among Native Hawaiians, its former widespread use, and the decline caused by historical bans on instruction.
- 3It highlights revitalization efforts since the 1960s, such as Hawaiian language immersion preschools (Aha Punana Leo), immersion programs in the Hawaii Department of Education, and Hawaiian language programs at the University of Hawaiʻi system.
- 4It connects the language's revitalization to broader policy changes: Hawaii’s official language recognition in the 1978 Constitution, the 1986 removal of bans on teaching Hawaiian in schools, and federal policy through the Native American Languages Act (1990) and related federal funding initiatives (including the 2022-2023 Act creating the National Native American Language Resource Center grant to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo).
- 5It calls for preserving, protecting, and promoting the use, practice, and development of Olelo Hawaiʻi in line with the Native American Languages Act and urges people and organizations to celebrate the month with appropriate activities and programs.