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Updated March 18, 2024
American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data
Overview
Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or
Federal agencies collect population data, including on
community attachment.”
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities
and federally recognized tribes (hereinafter tribes), to
In 2020, the Census Bureau counted 9,666,058 people who
allocate funding and provide services. There is no uniform
identified as AI/AN. This figure includes members of more
definition of AI/AN populations or tribal enrollment, and
than one racial group. The Census Bureau also allows
federal agencies rely on different sources for these data.
people to list detailed ancestry, origin, and/or tribal
This In Focus describes select AI/AN and tribal population
affiliation; selected groups appear in Table 1.
data sources, differences among these sources, past
collection and reporting practices, current efforts to
Table 1. Self-Reported Affiliation, 2020
improve collection and reporting practices, and possible
Self-identification by American Indians and Alaska Natives
congressional policy considerations.
Group
Population
Population Data Sources
Cherokee
1,513,326
Tribal Enrollment Data
Aztec
583,981
Tribal enrollment, which may also be known as citizenship
or membership, is one source of information on tribal
Navajo Nation
423,412
populations. Because tribes are sovereign nations, every
Maya
300,519
tribe generally determines its own criteria for who is
eligible to become a tribal citizen or member, which may
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian
297,899
include factors such as degree of tribal ancestry.
Reservation of Montana
Choctaw
255,557
Many tribes provide enrollment data on their official
websites. Others view enrollment data as proprietary
Alaska Native
241,797
information. While tribes have historically submitted
Chippewa
130,048
enrollment data to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
currently, the agency does not publicly report those figures.
Apache
129,589
BIA’s Tribal Service Population Data
Sioux
126,571
BIA calculates the tribal service population to determine
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Detailed Demographic
eligibility for its services. The Snyder Act of 1921 (25
and Housing Characteristics File A, Table T01001.
U.S.C. §13) authorizes BIA to operate programs and spend
federal funds for the benefit and assistance of tribes and
Notes: This list contains 10 of the largest groupings out of more
individual tribal members throughout the United States.
than 1,000 groups, such as tribes and villages. Individuals may choose
BIA determines a tribe’s service population based on the
to identify as being part of more than one group and, when that
tribe’s estimate of all tribal individuals who live on or near
occurs, will be counted more than once.
its reservation (25 C.F.R. §20.100). There are about 326
tribal reservations with a total national service population
Annual estimates for the overall AI/AN population are
of nearly 2 million. Currently, tribal service population data
available from the Census Bureau’s American Community
are not publicly available below the national level.
Survey (ACS), a large-scale survey of U.S. households.
Those estimates are available at the national level as well as
U.S. Census Bureau’s AI/AN Data
for states, congressional districts, and other geographic
The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial
areas. The decennial census, which provides an actual count
enumeration of the population required by the Constitution
of the AI/AN population and a more granular breakdown by
(Article I, Section 2, clause 3) and operates other programs
self-identified tribal affiliation, is next scheduled for 2030.
to measure the nation’s people and economy.
Differences Among Data Sources
The Census Bureau relies on individual self-identification
The data sources described above provide varying
as AI/AN using the Office of Management and Budget’s
population estimates due to a number of factors, including
(OMB’s) standardized definitions for racial and ethnic
the absence of a statutory definition of AI/AN or tribal
categories. OMB currently defines American Indian or
populations.
Alaska Native as a “person having origins in any of the
original peoples of North and South America (including
For example, the Census Bureau’s figures rely on a
relatively broad definition of AI/AN, while criteria for
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American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data
tribal service area and tribal enrollment may be less
personnel to collect consistent tribal population data with
inclusive. As a result, Census Bureau statistics may report
methodologies that meet federal requirements. Some tribes
larger populations than tribal enrollment or service
also have expressed privacy concerns. Although some tribes
population data. For example, in 2023, the Cherokee Nation
choose to make enrollment figures publicly available,
reported about 450,000 enrolled tribal members, but more
others have raised concerns that public release against their
than 1.5 million people reported being at least part
wishes would harm tribal sovereignty. Some tribes have
Cherokee in the 2020 census.
also noted that once BIA collects this data, statistics might
be obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA, 5
The Census Bureau allows people to self-report in multiple
U.S.C. §552) requests.
racial and ethnic categories. In 2020, 61% of people who
identified as AI/AN were also members of at least one other
Current Approaches to Improving
race (Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian
Collection and Reporting
and Other Pacific Islander, White, or Some Other Race).
In P.L. 115-93, Congress transferred the responsibility for
Among the 3.7 million AI/AN people who listed no other
developing and publishing biennial tribal population reports
race in the 2020 census, 40% also identified as Hispanic
from BIA to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). As of
(which OMB currently considers an ethnicity, not a race).
early 2024, DOL is conducting research and outreach, and
has not published a report.
A tribe’s service population may be larger than its enrolled
population, because its service population may include
Some federal agencies are working with tribes to improve
AI/ANs who are not members of that tribe. For example,
tribal data collection. In 2023, the Department of the
AI/ANs or members of one tribe may live close to another
Interior led an interagency tribal consultation session on
tribe’s reservation and may be counted in that other tribe’s
federal and tribal data priorities. They discussed collecting
service population. This definition of a service population
tribal enrollment data annually, developing a tribal service
enables services to reach AI/ANs from tribes that are
population dataset, and exploring opportunities to check the
landless or live off (but close to) a reservation.
Census Bureau’s data for tribal affiliation self-identification
against BIA tribal enrollment data to validate Census data.
The service population metric may not fit the circumstances
The Census Bureau has also committed to working with
of some tribes, leading to inconsistent data. For example,
AI/AN stakeholders to develop new statistical products.
only tribes with reservations can report their service
populations, and many tribes and Alaska Natives do not
Options for Congress
have reservations. Therefore, this dataset likely
As part of its oversight and legislative role, Congress may
inadequately accounts for those groups. In addition, some
consider assessing the accuracy and suitability of federal
Oklahoma-based tribes’ service areas are based on the
agency methodologies for measuring and serving tribal
tribes’ historic reservations, which are larger than most
and/or AI/AN populations.
current reservations.
For example, Congress may be interested in ensuring
Past Approaches to Collection and
consistent AI/AN and tribal data collection and use across
Reporting
federal agencies. If this is a priority, Congress may consider
From 1982 to 2013, BIA released a generally biennial
defining AI/AN or tribal membership for the purpose of
American Indian Population and Labor Force Report that
population data collection. This definition could be based
collected and reported AI/AN and certain tribal population
on geography, race, tribal enrollment, or some combination.
data based on a range of data sources, including BIA field
offices, tribes, and the Census Bureau. According to BIA,
Alternatively, Congress may be interested in using different
collecting reliable data for the biennial report was
datasets depending on its priorities. For example, if
challenging. Some tribes reported confusion over whom to
Congress is interested in benefiting certain AI/AN
include in their service populations, and concerns were
populations or tribes, it could consider specifying the use of
raised about the accuracy and consistency of the data.
certain AI/AN and tribal datasets. For example, BIA has
traditionally collected and used service population data to
Many tribes and other stakeholders also raised concerns
allocate funding, and some tribes believe that this should
about BIA’s publications. For example, some assert that
continue because it is a relatively inclusive method. On the
using Census Bureau estimates is inappropriate because
other hand, some tribes have suggested that BIA use a
they come with margins of error, which can be sizable
methodology that incorporates not only enrollment but also
when working with relatively small populations.
the relative costs of addressing tribal needs, which could
Alternatively, some recommend using administrative data
ensure that small tribes receive greater funding to achieve
already collected by federal agencies such as the U.S.
community objectives.
Department of Health and Human Services. Other tribes
and tribal groups recommend using data provided by tribes.
Ben Leubsdorf, Research Librarian
Mariel J. Murray, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Considering these challenges, some tribes have asked
Nik Taylor, Senior Research Librarian
federal agencies to use tribal enrollment data. Use of tribal
enrollment data raises a number of considerations. For
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example, not all tribes may have the resources and trained
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American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data
Disclaimer
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