DOGE Hits Molokai Cultural Programs

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor

The long arm of the nascent U. S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reached the shores of Molokai in early April. Massive funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) resulted in a cancellation of grants for the Hawaii Council for the Humanities, which has funded many projects on Molokai.

The cuts to the Hawaii Council for the Humanities amounted to over $1.5 million, explained executive director Aiko Yamashiro. The money would have been used for projects in 2026-2027.

“It’s definitely not good,” said Yamashiro. “We have a lot of questions and no clear answers.”

The Hawaii Council for the Humanities is a private nonprofit which operates in partnership with the NEH.

“So essentially, it’s your tax dollars coming back to Hawaii to be used to support the public humanities on the ground,” explained Stacy Hoshino, director of grants and special projects for the Hawaii Council for the Humanities.

In recent years, the Hawaii Council for the Humanities has provided tens of thousands of dollars for various Molokai projects like a photo history collection in Kalaupapa, a book about Molokai women’s food practices, and digital archive training at Ka Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center. Most recently, this past January the Hawaii Council for the Humanities partnered with Hanohano and Maile Naehu for a community holoholo in Mana’e. Now, projects like these will have to seek a new sponsor. Yamashiro said the Hawaii Council for the Humanities will not be able to offer any new grants “for the foreseeable future.”