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On Monday, March 31, the Federation of State Humanities Councils learned that DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) is targeting the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) with the aim of substantially reducing its staff, cutting the agency’s grant programs, and rescinding grants that have already been awarded. The National Endowment for the Humanities is the only federal agency that funds our nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils.
Starting late in the evening on Wednesday, April 2, all humanities councils received emails and letters under the signature of NEH Acting Chair Michael McDonald notifying them that all awarded grants—including their 5-year General Operating Grants and other program-specific awards—were canceled in their entirety, effective April 1.
We asked humanities councils around the country to share what their state will lose if these cuts go through. Here’s how Hawaii and the territories will be negatively impacted by the loss of National Endowment for the Humanities funds and defunding of their humanities councils. While not every territory contributed to this article, every state and territory in the country will be affected.
What will be lost in Guam if NEH funding for humanities councils is cut?
Founded in 1991, the nonprofit Guåhan Humanities is the official humanities council of Guam. It is funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities. In a statement on their website and through social media, the Guåhan Humanities team shared what Guam will lose if their federal funding is cut.
“Humanities Guåhan has been serving the people of Guåhan for over 30 years, offering programs that: preserve Chamoru language & culture, support family literacy and youth education, connect generations through storytelling, amplify Micronesian perspectives, and train educators and students across the island The loss of these critical resources poses an immediate and serious threat to Guam’s cultural, educational, and community-based programming.”
What will Guam lose if their federal funding is cut?
“We lose the literacy programs where mothers gain the skills to guide their children through their first books.
We lose support for educators who bring Guåhan’s complex history and culture into the classroom.
We lose the gatherings where we celebrate who we are—through language, food, art, and storytelling.
We lose the spaces where manåmako’ and famagu’on come together to share stories, wisdom, and identity.
We lose the workshops where traditional crafts crafts—like weaving, chant, and carving—are passed down from generation to generation.
We lose over 30 years of connection, collaboration, and progress—fostered by and for the people of Guåhan.
We lose the programs that honor our veterans—offering them space to share their stories, heal through dialogue, and connect with community.
We lose the vibrant cultural performances that bring our stories to life—through chant, dance, and music rooted in generations of tradition.
We lose the passionate team behind every story—people from our own community who’ve dedicated their lives to sharing, preserving, and uplifting Guåhan’s voices.
These cuts include our General Operating Support Grant and funding for the Pacific Islands Cultural Initiative—core resources that make our programs possible. “
Read Humanities Guåhan full statement and call to action on the cuts here.
Read more coverage of these cuts’ impact in Guam: Guam Daily Post, Pacific Daily News, Pacific Daily News 2, Isla Public, Marianas Business Journal, Marianas Press
What will be lost in Hawaii if NEH funding for humanities councils is cut?
Founded in 1973, the nonprofit Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities is the official humanities council of Hawaii. It is funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities. In an email statement, they shared what Hawaii will lose if the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities loses their federal funding.
“[These cuts] will have a devastating effect on our ability to serve our communities. NEH accounts for 90% of Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities budget.
These dollars go a long way. Last year, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities engaged 33,531 people through 209 events through community grants, programs like Hawai‘i History Day, Try Think, collaborations like the Hawai‘i State Poet Laureate program and the Lei Pua ‘Ala Queer Histories of Hawai‘i project, partnering with countless local organizations and individuals. On average, humanities councils raise $2 in private investment and in-kind support for every $1 of federal support they receive.”
Read Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities’ call to action press release here.
Read coverage of these cuts’ impact on Hawaii: Hawai‘i Public Radio, Kaua‘i Now
What will be lost in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) if NEH funding for humanities councils is cut?
Founded in 1991, the nonprofit Northern Marianas Humanities Council is the official humanities council of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities. Executive Director Leo Pangelinan shared what the Commonwealth will lose if the Northern Marianas Humanities Council loses their federal funding directly and via a statement on their website (these sources have been combined for clarity here).
“The Northern Marianas Humanities Council works in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, and supports regional concerns through the Pacific Islands Humanities Network. In addition to the public-facing humanities projects we have conducted since 1991, we have awarded a total of $1,412,493 in the form of subgrants to individuals and groups, providing critical funding support for 222 humanities projects in the CNMI.
Today, NEH grants awarded to our Council account for approximately 93% of our annual operations and programmatic expenses. We currently receive no funding from the CNMI government and cash donations from supporters like you amount to 5% of our total revenues
In the CNMI, we could lose:
Support for literacy, local authorship, and scholarship in the humanities, like our annual Sengebau Poetry Competition,
Vital support for CNMI-wide K-12 teachers and students, including our plans to offer adult conversational Chamorro and Carolinian courses for parents of students in CNMI PSS’s Chamorro Carolinian Language and Heritage courses.
Projects that document, preserve, and promote CNMI history and cultural heritage, much of which is held in our Digital Archive.
Activities that support civic engagement and foster critical thinking and dialogue on topics and issues important to our citizens, as reflected in our Marianas Values research project.
Programs that promote awareness and understanding of the experiences and perspectives of our diverse community and made available in various media formats, like our weekly Your Humanities Half-hour Show.
Our Community Grant Program which provides our citizens and local nonprofits with the agency and funding support to implement public humanities projects to address our community needs.
The local CNMI government does not have the revenue base to consistently support the operational/programmatic costs of the Northern Marianas Humanities Council. Furthermore, the CNMI economy is in a recession, and local businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to support nonprofit organizations. More importantly, there are only a handful of other humanities-focused organizations—i.e. public libraries and museums— that can conceivably pick up some of the work and approaches to advancing the humanities in our jurisdiction.”
Read the Northern Marianas Humanities Council’s full statement on the cuts here.
Read more coverage of the cuts impact on the CNMI: Pacific Daily News, Marianas Variety 1, MV 2, MV 3
What will be lost in Puerto Rico if NEH funding for humanities councils is cut?
Founded in 1977, the nonprofit Humanidades Puerto Rico is the official humanities council of Hawaii. It is funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Their statement (in Spanish) on the cuts and what Puerto Rico will lose if Humanidades Puerto Rico loses their federal funding can be read here.
The statement notes that NEH funding accounts for 50% of Humanidades Puerto Rico’s budget and that the cuts threaten the continuity of programs and services that have supported culture, education, and communities in Puerto Rico for nearly five decades.
