This Senate resolution would designate February 2026 as "Hawaiian Language Month" or "ʻOlelo Hawaiʻi Month." The resolution describes the Hawaiian language as the Native language of Native Hawaiians, notes historical limits on the language's use after the 1893 overthrow and subsequent 1896 ban on teaching it in schools, and recounts a grassroots movement since the 1960s to revive the language. The text cites Hawaiian language programs and immersion schools, the State of Hawaiʻi recognizing Hawaiian as an official language, federal laws such as the Native American Languages Act, and recent federal support for language revitalization. The resolution says the Senate commits to preserving, protecting, and promoting the use and development of ʻOlelo Hawaiʻi and urges people and groups to celebrate the month with activities and programs.
If the Senate adopts this resolution, February 2026 would be formally named "Hawaiian Language Month" in the Senate record. The resolution calls on the Senate to support efforts to preserve and promote the Hawaiian language in line with the Native American Languages Act and asks the public and interested groups to mark the month with related activities. The resolution does not itself create funding or new legal rights in the text provided.
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The resolution highlights the history and near loss of the Hawaiian language after restrictions on its use, and it lists community and educational efforts that helped revive the language, including Hawaiian language university programs, immersion preschools created by ʻAha Pūnana Leo, state education immersion programs, and research and training at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. It notes state and federal actions that recognize and support Hawaiian language revitalization and frames the February designation as a way to celebrate and encourage use of ʻOlelo Hawaiʻi.
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