Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (HI-02) introduced a resolution recognizing February 2026 as “Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i,” or “Hawaiian Language Month.” While the resolution highlights the success of language revitalization efforts across the State of Hawai‘i, it also warns about the growing threats from the Trump administration, including funding freezes and proposals to eliminate certain programs, that undermine the long-term stability of institutions and education initiatives dedicated to preserving and sustaining the Hawaiian language.
“ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi carries the stories, laws, and worldview of our islands and its Native people. The revitalization of the Hawaiian language stands as one of the most powerful examples of community-driven resilience in our nation, and emphasizes the important link between language and identity,” said Rep. Tokuda. “As we celebrate Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi this year, we cannot understate the numerous and ongoing threats posed by the President and his allies on Native language education. We must stay vigilant. Safeguarding ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is essential to upholding the federal trust responsibility to the Native Hawaiian Community and preserving the language for future generations.”
The resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Ed Case (HI-01), Gwen Moore (WI-04), and Grace Meng (NY-06). The resolution is also endorsed by the UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, ʻAha Pūnana Leo, and Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu School.
“The ʻAha Pūnana Leo and Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu School, the largest single Hawaiian language medium/immersion school campus, is proud to support Representative Tokuda's resolution in support of Hawaiian Language Month," said Dr. Kauanoe Kamanā, Co-Founder and President of the ʻAha Pūnana Leo and Director of the Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu School. “This resolution, recognizing our state's official Indigenous language, is an honor for the multi-ethnic population of Hawaiʻi, who voted as a community for this status for Hawaiian. E Ola ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.”
The resolution further recognizes the critical role of higher education in sustaining these revitalization efforts.
“As we celebrate Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i, we acknowledge not only the revitalization of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, but also the hard work that our community has put into both preserving and renormalizing the Hawaiian language over the past 40 years," said Kaʻiu Kimura, director of the UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language. "Without this work, and the manaʻo shared by those who have maintained and uplifted ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, our language would not be as flourishing as it is today. Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i is both a celebration and a reminder that it is our responsibility to share our manaʻo not only with the next generation of Hawaiian language learners, but with other Native American and Alaska Native communities to help them uplift their own ʻōlelo ʻōiwi (Indigenous languages)."
The full text of the bill can be found here.
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