Speeches & Testimony

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today to introduce the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act Amendments.

This bill is the House companion to S. 612, introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski, Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and Brian Schatz, Vice Chairman of the Committee. The bill makes important technical corrections to the NATIVE Act to authorize grants to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiian organizations for recreational travel and tourism activities.

In 2016, Congress enacted the NATIVE Act to provide grants, loans and technical assistance to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiian organizations to assist in developing tourism in indigenous peoples' communities and enhancing opportunities for visitors to learn about indigenous peoples' history, cultures, traditional foods, languages and arts. Unfortunately, the act did not clearly authorize the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR) to issue the grants, which led to implementation challenges.

Our bill corrects this issue by clearly authorizing the BIA and ONHR, along with several other federal agencies, to issue these grants and authorize appropriations for the program. The bill will enable improved access to federal resources, helping these communities build sustainable tourism infrastructure and expand cultural tourism. In turn, it will create jobs and boost economic development in rural and underserved areas.

This bill is especially important for my home state of Hawaii, where the link between tourism and our indigenous people, Native Hawaiians, is essential. Native Hawaiian culture is at the heart of our islands' uniqueness and one of the major draws for those who visit our state.

The past generations have witnessed a great renaissance of the Hawaiian language and culture, and in turn over the ensuing years Native Hawaiian practitioners and culture have become an increasingly visible and central part of our visitor industry. We in Hawaii are committed to fostering this sector of our economy in a way that encourages long-term cultural preservation efforts.

Through improving the implementation of the NATIVE Act, which has helped both Native Hawaiian Organizations and local Native Hawaiian businesses, our federal government will do a better job preserving and promoting Native Hawaiian culture. We can help connect tourists with the rich indigenous heritage of Hawaii though community-based visitor experiences that protect cultural sites, promote education and create jobs.

By enacting the NATIVE Act Amendments, what we have achieved in Hawaii can grow and be replicated nationwide. I urge my colleagues to join with us to support this critical initiative to empower native communities, enhance the tourism sector and create lasting economic opportunities.

Mahalo.