A resolution designating February 2026 as "Hawaiian Language Month" or "Olelo Hawai'i Month".

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 625 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 625

 Designating February 2026 as ``Hawaiian Language Month'' or ```Olelo 
                            Hawai`i Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 2, 2026

    Mr. Schatz (for himself and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Designating February 2026 as ``Hawaiian Language Month'' or ```Olelo 
                            Hawai`i Month''.

Whereas the Hawaiian language, or `Olelo Hawai`i--

    (1) is the Native language of Native Hawaiians, the aboriginal, 
Indigenous people who--

    G    (A) settled the Hawaiian archipelago as early as 2,000 years ago, 
over which they exercised sovereignty; and

    G    (B) over time, founded the Kingdom of Hawai`i; and

    (2) was once widely spoken by Native Hawaiians and non-Native Hawaiians 
throughout the Kingdom of Hawai`i, which held one of the highest literacy 
rates in the world prior to the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai`i 
in 1893 and the establishment of the Republic of Hawai`i;

Whereas the Republic of Hawai`i enacted a law in 1896 effectively banning school 
        instructional use of `Olelo Hawai`i, a law that continued in effect over 
        the generations-long territorial period;
Whereas the Republic of Hawai`i banned the use of `Olelo Hawai`i to communicate 
        and punished children for speaking `Olelo Hawai`i in schools and on the 
        playground;
Whereas parallel to the Federal efforts to eliminate Native American languages 
        spoken by Indian Tribes, the ban on the use of `Olelo Hawai`i led to the 
        near extinction of the Hawaiian language by the 1980s, when fewer than 
        50 fluent speakers under 18 years old remained;
Whereas, since the 1960s, Native Hawaiians have led a grassroots revitalization 
        of their Native language, launching a number of historic initiatives, 
        including--

    (1) the Hawaiian language course and degree programs through the 
University of Hawai`i system;

    (2) the statewide Hawaiian language immersion preschools created by the 
Native Hawaiian nonprofit `Aha Punana Leo, combining speakers and non-
speakers in language nests;

    (3) the Hawai`i State Department of Education Hawaiian language 
immersion program developed from a base of `Aha Punana Leo graduates; and

    (4) the research conducted by the Hawaiian language college at the 
University of Hawai`i at Hilo relating to Indigenous language immersion 
teacher training, curriculum materials, and best practices, which allowed 
the State of Hawai`i to develop an integrated preschool through doctorate 
Hawaiian immersion program;

Whereas the Hawaiian language revitalization movement inspired systemic Native 
        language policy reform, including--

    (1) the State of Hawai`i recognizing `Olelo Hawai`i as an official 
language in the Constitution of the State of Hawai`i through a majority 
vote of its Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian citizenry in 1978;

    (2) the State of Hawai`i removing the 90-year ban on teaching `Olelo 
Hawai`i in public and private schools in 1986;

    (3) the bipartisan enactment of the Native American Languages Act (25 
U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) in 1990, which established the policy of the United 
States to preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native 
Americans to use, practice, and develop Native American languages, 
including the Native Hawaiian language; and

    (4) the State of Hawai`i designating the month of February as ```Olelo 
Hawai`i Month'' to celebrate and encourage the use of the Hawaiian 
language;

Whereas the enactment of the Native American Language Resource Center Act of 
        2022 (20 U.S.C. 7457) in 2023--

    (1) reconfirmed a Federal commitment to revitalizing Native American 
languages, including the Hawaiian language; and

    (2) resulted in the Department of Education awarding the Hawaiian 
language college at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo a 5-year grant to 
establish and lead the first National Native American Language Resource 
Center with State and Tribal college and university partners to support the 
revitalization of other Native American languages through expertise and 
best practices; and

Whereas the enactment of numerous laws by Congress over many decades to promote 
        education, Native American language revitalization, and cultural 
        preservation recognizes and implements the special political and trust 
        relationship with the Native Hawaiian Community: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates February 2026 as ``Hawaiian Language Month'' 
        or ```Olelo Hawai`i Month'';
            (2) commits to preserving, protecting, and promoting the 
        use, practice, and development of `Olelo Hawai`i in alignment 
        with the Native American Languages Act (25 U.S.C. 2901 et 
        seq.); and
            (3) urges the people of the United States and interested 
        groups to celebrate `Olelo Hawai`i Month with appropriate 
        activities and programs to demonstrate support for `Olelo 
        Hawai`i.
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