    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 2025)]
    [Senate]
    [Page S1042]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

    SENATE RESOLUTION 83--DESIGNATING FEBRUARY 2025 AS ``HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE
                      MONTH'' OR `` `OLELO HAWAI`I MONTH''

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

                                   S. Res. 83

           Whereas the Hawaiian language, or `Olelo Hawai`i--
           (1) is the Native language of Native Hawaiians, the
         aboriginal, Indigenous people who--
              (A) settled the Hawaiian archipelago as early as 300
         A.D., over which they exercised sovereignty; and
              (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 instruction in `Olelo Hawai`i,
         which led to the near extinction of the 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) `Aha Punana Leo's Hawaiian language immersion
         preschools;
           (2) the Hawaiian language immersion program of the Hawai`i
         State Department of Education; and
           (3) the Hawaiian language programs of the University of
         Hawai`i system;
           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
         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 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; 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; and
           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
         Indigenous languages, including the Hawaiian language; and
           (2) resulted in the Department of Education awarding the
         University of Hawai`i at Hilo a 5-year grant to establish the
         first National Native American Language Resource Center: Now,
         therefore, be it
           Resolved, That the Senate--
           (1) designates February 2025 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.

                              ____________________