On January 15th, Congress passed Interior and Environment Appropriations Act 2026, which includes level funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the humanities councils—$207 million for the NEH, with $65 million of that budget allocated to the 56 state and territorial humanities councils. The President signed this bill shortly afterward. However, after the unprecedented cancellation of grants in 2025, humanities councils are wary of making plans or commitments until the actual receipt of mandated funds.

Though we are cautious, we also celebrate this victory of advocacy and community support. Thank you to our Congress for their enduring bipartisan support of the humanities as enriching lives and strengthening communities, with special gratitude to Senator Hirono, Senator Schatz, Representative Case, and Representative Tokuda for supporting resources to Hawaiʻi. Mahalo to our Hawaiʻi History Day youth, Try Think participants, and so many of you for sharing your testimony about what NEH cuts would mean to our Hawaiʻi community.

We continue to advocate for the importance of our federal-state partnership with NEH, as we stay grounded in our local community who continue to do the work and who have risen to meet this crisis. We start the new year holding firm to the hands of everyone committed to the dignity and humanity of all.

We are entering a year of change. We are strengthened by all the challenges we have faced together. We continue to move forward on our 2026 priorities: nourish our humanities ecosystem, strengthen civic education and engagement, and build infrastructure for sustainability into the future.

Thank you for your voices, vision, and partnership!

Aiko