The 2019 National Humanities features four special plenary sessions for attendees: Welina: Welcome and Opening Ceremonies from the Pacific Islands Humanities Councils; a morning Address from the NEH Chairman Jon Peede; the Capps Lecture featuring Jonathan and Jamaica Osorio, poet, activist and scholar; and the closing plenary, The Navigator’s Water: Traditional Seafaring in the Pacific. Read on to learn more about these events and the speakers.

The 2019 Annual Business Meeting of the Federation House of Delegates will take place on Saturday, November 9, from 1:00 to 1:55 pm, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki.

HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI – General registration for the National Humanities Conference is now open! The National Humanities Conference is a four-day event that will take place November 7-10, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. For the first time in Federation history, the National Humanities Conference will be held outside the continental US and cohosted by the US state and territorial councils of Oceania: Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, Humanities Guåhan, Northern Marianas Humanities Council, and Amerika Samoa Humanities.

The Board of Directors of the Federation of State Humanities Councils announces the retirement of Federation President Esther Mackintosh, effective once a successor is named.

Learn about our NHC 19 co-host: Guam! Guam is one of the earliest settlements and colonies in the world with archaeological findings dating back 3,000-4,000 years ago! Learn more in this recent update.

Request for Proposals released for round two of the Mellon-funded, “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” initiative. Letters of Intent are due August 23, 2019.

Experience Sunday at NHC with these incredible offerings: learn maritime skills and sail a traditional Kanehunamoku canoe; take a living history tour through the pivotal four days and through the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy on the ‘Iolani Palace grounds; take a literary hike through Hawaiian landscape and reflect on identity and place; or attend an evening concert!

Learn more about our NHC 19 co-host: The Northern Mariana Islands! Learn a bit about the geography, history and culture in this most recent update.

Learn about one of our 2019 NHC host councils: Amerika Samoa! What’s in a name? Learn about the many nicknames of American Samoa in this most recent update.

Learn about one of our NHC 19 host councils: Hawai’i! Learn about the ‘okina and macron or kahakō in this most recent update.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils is now accepting nominations for the 37th annual Helen and Martin Schwartz Prize, made possible through an endowment established by former Federation board member Martin Schwartz and his wife Helen to recognize outstanding work in the public humanities.

“The councils are uniquely equipped to bring journalists into meaningful conversation with the communities they serve, to help citizens distinguish trustworthy from unreliable news, and to explore the historic role that journalism and the humanities have played in informing Americans,”

The 2019 National Humanities Conference banner is comprised of several images that explore the conference theme, “Roots and Routes: Navigation, Migration, and Exchange in the 21st Century.” The images were selected to represent the unique histories and cultures of each island by the co-hosts of this year’s conference

“For the first time in our organizational history, the National Humanities Conference will be held outside the continental US, in the powerful realm of Oceania.” Be the first to view the conference line-up! Here’s your first look at the 2019 NHC schedule. Email events@statehumanities.org with any questions.

Join us in welcoming new Minnesota Humanities Center CEO Kevin Lindsey to the state humanities council community!