Interesting discussion you’re having on the decennial Census
2000. It certainly is important to know the best you can on the
big count coming up, especially if you have concerns for
American Indian and Alaska Native interests. “American Indian
and Alaska Natives” is the new federal OMB race term for us
“skins”. I serve on the Census Advisory Committee on American
Indian and Alaska Native Populations (CACAIANP) to the US Census
Bureau. We meet in Suitland, MD (Census Bureau headquarters)
twice a year to discuss planning and preparation issues
regarding the Census 2000. I will provide at the conclusion of
my dialogue email addresses of others who serve on the
committee. Some of you will probably know these folks. I do
commend you of your interests to engage in this dialogue.
Internet has brought a new meaning to freedom of speech. As
members of the CACAIANP, we make it our responsibility to
educate. More important, if any input we make or participation
lends to a more accurate count of our population, all the
better.
Manuals: The US Census Bureau Regional Census Centers through
their Government Partnership Specialist (like HoMana Pawiki -
EM: xxx) have available handbooks on the “Tribal Government
Liaison Program” and “Tribal Complete Count Committees”. These
contain information on how the Census Bureau intends to work
with tribal governments, through a tribal-designated liaison (a
tribal government employee). The complete count committee
booklet provides a guideline on how to create the committees
identifying the best ways to reach the hard to count
populations.
Self-Identification: True, prior to the 1970 Census, it was up
to the census takers (Enumerators) to determine the race of the
person were counted! Fortunately, during the last three
decennial censuses, including the forthcoming 2000, allows the
householders to identify what race they are. A new change for
Census 2000 is the option of checking off any of the listed
races. The new race categories are: White; Black, African
American, or Negro; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian;
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and Some other Race.
So that’s six race categories. There is no such thing as a
“multiracial” or a “Mixed-Race” category. Any person
self-identifying with “Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino” origin may
also indicate that for ethnic identification purposes; which of
course is not a race category. Any multi-entry identification
will be tabulated; theoretically is possible to yield 64 single
race and race-combination tables. The fear for American Indians
and Alaska Natives (AI&ANs) is that our numbers would disappear
among the other races, if we don’t answer AI&AN only. The
historic relations impacting the southwestern and California
tribes and pueblos by Spanish influence also cause some concerns
for many American Indian with Spanish surnames; which are often
analyzed and used for state and congressional legislative
redistricting.
When we choose AI&AN as our race, we must than write in the
Tribe we identify with. So you print the name of your enrolled
or principal tribe. Tabulation from the Census 2000 will show
the first two tribes reported. Prior, only the first listed
tribe was tabulated. It is important to put your primary tribe
first. AI&ANs are counted where they are or where they live.
Around 65% of AI&ANs now live off or nearby reservations; and a
good majority of those live in urban settings. A growing
concern is how urban Indians can be properly counted and not
disappear in the majority or “other” numbers. Committee member
Glenda Ahhaitty is a strong and consistent advocate for better
coverage of urban Indians. American Indians are encouraged to
take part in the Complete Count Committees set up for the
metropolitan governments. In answering the census, indicate you
are “American Indian or Alaska Native” and WRITE IN the name of
your tribe.
Mixed-Race Households: If one of the spouse is AI&AN, that
person should be listed in Person Number 1 (head of householder)
to qualify as an American Indian household. Of course the
parent who is Indian and the children would be counted as
Indians if their race are properly checked.
Format: There is a short form (100% coverage) and a long form
(one in every six), both have the same race questions. The long
form samples for employment, income, veteran status, education,
etc. to ascertain socio-economic data. The long form also asks
about ancestry. So there is a difference between “race” and
“ancestry”. Background: the 1990 Census reported 1.7 million
American Indians, Eskimos, & Aleuts under race and approximately
eight million as having ancestral ties with American Indians. On
reservations, the long form will be deployed 1 in every 2. On
reservations, bilingual enumerators will go home to home to sit
down with and interview people. Elsewhere, people would need to
answer the census and mail it back. If they don’t respond,
follow-up visits will be made by enumerators.
BIA Tribal Enrollment versus Census 2000: Census 2000 is base
on self-identification. BIA “required” tribal enrollment is
based on a tribally defined enrollment process to get a “census
number”. The two are like apples and oranges. Having a tribal
enrollment number doesn’t mean you are automatically counted by
the decennial census. BIA and one other federal agency on
children services are the only two I know which allocate funding
to tribes based on the tribal enrollment data. It is important
to answer the federal Census; all other federal funding agencies
disburse fiscal resources using the decennial census results.
Of course, the US Constitution required that a census (“counting
heads”) be taken every 10 years for the purpose of congressional
reapportionment.
In modern times, the data from the census is used for
demographic analyses and planning. For reservations, the
decennial census data is the most reliable in terms of the
diversity of information obtained; yes, despite the
undercounting. The census data is very useful. Tribal
governments lack the resources to conduct their own
socio-economic surveys. The Navajo Nation for example,
standardized it statistical system using the census as its
benchmarking for distribution of services in health, social
services, revenue sharing, etc. for its 110 chapters (local
governments) covering a 25 thousand square mile region in New
Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The BIA Navajo tribal enrollment
data, involving a quarter million records finally came into
modern times the last two years with computer automation. The
current planning is to merge the two databases and make some
appropriate analytical sense. A new Tribal law requires the
reapportionment of the 88-member Navajo Nation Council using the
tribal enrollment data, not the federal census. Due to an
underdeveloped automated tribal enrollment system before, the
tribal voter’s registration roll was used instead.
Generally, the decennial census has counted more American
Indians than tribes have on their tribal membership rolls.
Conversely, tribal governments have argued their tribal
enrollment has greater numbers than what the census has counted
for their tribal reservation or trust land areas. It is a matter
of geography and where American Indian individuals are counted.
Tribal enrollment counts people who are legitimately enrolled,
whether they physically live on the reservation, Chicago, or LA.
The decennial census counts people where they physically
reside. This then, definitely creates an overlap of counts by
both for a significant portions of each tribe’s population.
When the Census Bureau releases population data for each
reservation, tribal leaders start raising undercount concerns
when they compare the results with their tribal enrollment
databases. Since not every American Indian is an enrolled
member of a particular tribe and the decennial census (attempts
to) count everyone, the census yields higher numbers.
Matt (Snipp) is referred to in the dialogue. Dr. Snipp is very
well known in the statistical community as American Indian
demographer. He is a professor at Stanford University and
serves on the CACAIANP. He and Dr. Ted Jojola have kept pace
with the growing debate on how the Census 2000 results will be
tabulated. See names on list at end.
Blood Quantum: Based on the enrollment policy of each tribal
government, a certain degree of blood quantum maybe an
eligibility requirement. BUT this is not a requirement in
answering the Census 2000. AND only YOU determine what race you
are, not the census taker! Respectively, the concern is that
tribal enrollment blood quantum requirements might be making an
impact on how people answer the Census, ie, “XYZ” Tribe
requiring 1/4 Indian blood: The children of a quarter Indian
parent (with spouse non-Indian), assuming the children are now
independent, may check some other race than AI&AN because they
feel they no longer qualify to be a member of the tribe being
only one-eight Indian. The case is they still can answer the
census as being AI&AN. Of course this leads to the debate of
the “Cherokee Indian Princess” syndrome.
Federal or State Tribal Recognition: No, the census does not
ask if you are a member of a recognized tribe. You are only
asked to name your tribe. When the results are in, there will
be tabulations by Tribal affiliation, language, and tribal
populations by area, reservations and trust lands. The US
Census Bureau has a number of geography programs for AI&ANs.
Besides the reservations and trust lands status, there will be
other statistical areas identifiable for historic Oklahoma
Tribes (ie, they don’t have reservations, with perhaps the
exception of the Osage), state recognized tribal areas, Alaska
Native villages and Corporations, etc. Internally for these
areas, tribal sub-divisions maybe identified, ie, Chapters,
Districts, and Agencies for the Navajo Nation. And there will
be data reflecting all these different geography levels. Since
the Census counts everyone, non-Indians on reservations will be
counted as well according to their repective race.
I don’t have much to offer on the Canadian Census. The point
made there is similar to the American vain in which sovereign
Indian governments want to determine what their membership
numbers are in association to their particular rights regarding
their govt-to-govt relations with the federal government. For
the US, my understanding is that the US Census Bureau does not
want to get involved with the BIA required tribal enrollment
activity because they are a statistics collection agency, not an
administrative agency like the BIA. Having a “census number”
applies only to Indians, not people of other race; thus, it
becomes problematic for the Census Bureau to address tribal
concerns of documenting American Indians and their issued tribal
census numbers.
Confidentially: The Census Bureau is required by federal law
not to disseminate or disclose information on individuals.
However, any person can access their individual information if
they choose to at a later point. Some have done this to
validate their birth or other vital record. The collected
information is closed to the public for 72 years. Anyone, ie,
doing genealogy research can now access census information
collected during the 1920 Census and prior. The information can
not even be disclosed other federal agencies, not the BIA, not
the CIA, not the IRS, etc.
I undertook this little lecture in the interests of the
questions being raised. There is common curiosity and the need
to know by individuals who want to make difference. I wish you
well and may your participation help expand the knowledge needed
to better count our AI&AN populations.
Larry Rodgers, Member, CACAIANP
Administrator
Utah Navajo Trust Fund
Blanding, Utah
EM: lasar@yahoo.com
Other Members of the Census Advisory Committee on the American
Indian and Alaska Native Populations (CACAIANP)
Ms. Glenda Ahhaitty
Hacienda Heights, California
EM: Glendasa@aol.com
Ms. Cecelia Fire Thunder
Tawa Chin Waste Win
Martin, South Dakota
No EM
Dr. Ted Jojola
School of Architect & Planning/UNM
Albuquerque, New Mexico
EM: tjojola@unm.edu
Mr. Robert Nygaard (Chair)
Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa Tribal Council
Sault Ste. Marie, Minnesota
EM: qadmin15@northernway.net
Mr. Greg Richardson
North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs
Raleigh, North Carolina
EM: Gregory_Richardson@mail.doa.state.nc.us
Dr. Matthew Snipp
Department of Sociology/SU
Stanford, California
EM: Snipp@leland.stanford.edu
Ms. Rosita Worl
University of Alaska Southeast
Juneau, Alaska
EM: rositaw@alaska.net
Mr. Curtis Zunigha
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
No EM
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