#NativePeopleCount

 

2020 Census Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19

 

  • Did You Know?

  • Census data is the basis for over $1 billion dollars that annually flows into Indian Country to build tribal housing and make improvements, maintain and construct roads, and provide employment and training programs.

  • American Indians and Alaska Natives historically have experienced some of the highest Census undercounts of any population in the U.S. – a notable percentage of Natives on reservations were missed in the 1990 Census compared to 1.2 percent of all people in the U.S. and about 4.9 percent of tribal people on-reservation were missed in 2000.

  • American Indians were generally not counted up until 1890 and then substantially undercounted until about 1980 when all U.S. residents were allowed to indicate their own race rather than having it determined by a census enumerator.

  • Census answers are private and confidential: by law, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s or a household’s answers with any person or agency, e.g. not the IRS, not law enforcement entities, nor tribal housing authorities.

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Why Should You be Counted in the 2020 Census?

 

Being counted as Native will directly benefit you, your family and your tribal community. The census taken every ten years is the only uniform count of the U.S. population, producing figures for the nation as a whole and for every geographic area within it down to the smallest American Indian reservation and Alaska Native village. The census is the only source of this kind of data, with thousands of uses that benefit all American Indians and Alaska Natives. Just a few of the potential uses of census data include:
- Analyzing the need for Head Start services in each area of a reservation.
- Planning the development of facilities for tribal elders.
- Strengthening programs for tribal members living in the big cities.
- Helping tribal government agencies and tribally-based nonprofits to raise money.
- Building political clout.
- Supporting reservation economic development.

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