Homestead Research and Modernization

Office of the Secretary of the Interior • Honolulu, HI

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Semester of Service Program offers students an unpaid, project-based volunteer opportunity supporting Federal missions. This position is with the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations in Honolulu, Hawaii, for a 90-day term during Spring 2027, between mid-January and mid-June. Volunteers will commit to 8–20 hours per week and may work a flexible schedule in a hybrid arrangement. Some research repositories are generally open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The volunteer will research the historical development of land administration in Hawaiʻi and federal homesteading laws, and explore potential modernization of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA). Project deliverables include an annotated source table, repository guide, concise chronology, research roadmap, and recommendations for a future case study of a land area originally set aside under HHCA section 203. The work should identify issues requiring further research rather than reach legal conclusions.

This is an unpaid volunteer role. Participants are not Federal employees and receive no compensation, stipend, hiring preference, leave accrual, or other employee benefits. Volunteers receive meaningful project work, regular supervision and Federal mentorship, practical skills development, exposure to Federal missions and potential career pathways, and coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act and workers’ compensation for service-related injuries.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national studying in the United States or abroad.
• Be enrolled at least half-time in an accredited junior college, college, university, or other accredited educational institution beyond high school throughout the 90-day Semester of Service opportunity; the institution must be located in the United States.
• Be in good academic standing as defined by the educational institution.
• Commit to volunteering 8–20 hours per week for at least 90 days.
• Complete required onboarding documentation assigned by the Department of the Interior and the academic institution.
• Agree to volunteer in an unpaid role and acknowledge that volunteers are not Federal employees.
• Not be a current Federal employee.
• Submit a copy of transcripts for enrollment and academic-standing verification.
• Students graduating before May 1, 2027 are not eligible.

Nice To Haves

• Training and experience in historical and legal research and analysis.
• Familiarity with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended.
• Working proficiency in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), as many historical land documents are in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
• Public speaking experience to engage with HHCA beneficiaries.

Responsibilities

• Develop an annotated source table, repository guide, concise chronology, research roadmap, and recommendations for a future case study of a land area originally set aside under section 203 of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended.
• Identify and organize primary historical, land, survey, title, legislative, administrative, and archival records needed to trace the evolution of land administration in Hawaiʻi from the Māhele-era system through Crown and Government Lands and later Republic and Territorial public land administration, including lands designated as available under HHCA section 203 where relevant.
• Research the development of federal homesteading and analogous laws concurrent with the evolution of land administration in Hawaiʻi.
• Engage with HHCA beneficiaries to identify potential areas for modernizing the HHCA to address barriers to opportunities otherwise available off leasehold trust lands, including federal programs and services.
• Identify questions requiring additional research without reaching legal conclusions.

Benefits

• Meaningful project work with clear deliverables, regular supervision, and Federal mentorship.
• Hands-on application of academic knowledge in real-world Federal operations.
• Exposure to Federal missions, workplace culture, and potential career pathways.
• Coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
• Workers’ compensation for service-related injuries.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed