Bill > HCR130

This Concurrent Resolution formally apologizes to the Native Hawaiian people for the historical prohibition of the Hawaiian language, known as "lelo Hawaii," in Hawaii's public schools from 1896 to 1986. The resolution acknowledges that lelo Hawaii has been the indigenous language for over two thousand years and was the foundation of Hawaiian society, government, and education before the arrival of Europeans. It highlights that the language thrived during the Hawaiian Kingdom but was severely suppressed by laws like Act 57 of 1896, which mandated English-only instruction and led to the punishment of students for speaking Hawaiian, causing a drastic decline in speakers. The resolution also recognizes that despite constitutional provisions recognizing Hawaiian as an official language and promoting its study, it was excluded from official instruction until the establishment of the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program in 1986. Furthermore, it commits to acknowledging the consequences of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom and urges both the legislative and executive branches of the state government to address historical and ongoing issues between the United States and Native Hawaiians.