American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data

American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data

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Updated April 2, 2024
American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data
Overview
In 2020, the Census Bureau counted 9,666,058 people who
Federal agencies collect population data, including on
identified as AI/AN. This figure includes members of more
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities
than one racial group. The Census Bureau also allows
and federally recognized tribes (hereinafter tribes), to
people to list detailed ancestry, origin, and/or tribal
allocate funding and provide services. There is no uniform
affiliation; selected groups appear in Table 1.
definition of AI/AN populations or tribal enrollment, and
federal agencies rely on different sources for these data.
Table 1. Self-Reported Affiliation, 2020
This In Focus describes select AI/AN and tribal population
Self-identification by American Indians and Alaska Natives
data sources, differences among these sources, past
collection and reporting practices, current efforts to
Group
Population
improve collection and reporting practices, and possible
Cherokee
1,513,326
congressional policy considerations.
Aztec
583,981
Population Data Sources
Navajo Nation
423,412
Tribal Enrollment Data
Maya
300,519
Tribal enrollment, which may also be known as citizenship
or membership, is one source of information on tribal
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian
297,899
populations. Because tribes are sovereign nations, every
Reservation of Montana
tribe generally determines its own criteria for who is
Choctaw
255,557
eligible to become a tribal citizen or member, which may
include factors such as degree of tribal ancestry.
Alaska Native
241,797
Chippewa
130,048
Many tribes provide enrollment data on their official
websites. Others view enrollment data as proprietary
Apache
129,589
information. While tribes have historically submitted
Sioux
126,571
enrollment data to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
currently, the agency does not publicly report those figures.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Detailed Demographic
and Housing Characteristics File A, Table T01001.
BIA’s Tribal Service Population Data
BIA calculates the tribal service population to determine
Notes: This list contains 10 of the largest groupings out of more
eligibility for its services. The Snyder Act of 1921 (25
than 1,000 groups, such as tribes and vil ages. Individuals may choose
U.S.C. §13) authorizes BIA to operate programs and spend
to identify as being part of more than one group and, when that
federal funds for the benefit and assistance of tribes and
occurs, wil be counted more than once.
individual tribal members throughout the United States.
BIA determines a tribe’s service population based on the
Annual estimates for the overall AI/AN population are
tribe’s estimate of all tribal individuals who live on or near
available from the Census Bureau’s American Community
its reservation (25 C.F.R. §20.100). There are about 326
Survey (ACS), a large-scale survey of U.S. households.
tribal reservations with a total national service population
Those estimates are available at the national level as well as
of nearly 2 million. Currently, tribal service population data
for states, congressional districts, and other geographic
are not publicly available below the national level.
areas. The decennial census, which provides an actual count
of the AI/AN population and a more granular breakdown by
U.S. Census Bureau’s AI/AN Data
self-identified tribal affiliation, is next scheduled for 2030.
The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial
enumeration of the population required by the Constitution
Differences Among Data Sources
(Article I, Section 2, clause 3) and operates other programs
The data sources described above provide varying
to measure the nation’s people and economy.
population estimates due to a number of factors, including
the absence of a statutory definition of AI/AN or tribal
The Census Bureau relies on individual self-identification
populations.
as AI/AN using the Office of Management and Budget’s
(OMB’s) standardized definitions for racial and ethnic
For example, the Census Bureau’s figures rely on a
categories. OMB currently defines American Indian or
relatively broad definition of AI/AN, while criteria for
Alaska Native as “individuals with origins in any of the
tribal service area and tribal enrollment may be less
original peoples of North, Central, and South America.”
inclusive. As a result, Census Bureau statistics may report
larger populations than tribal enrollment or service
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American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data
population data. For example, in 2023, the Cherokee Nation
also have expressed privacy concerns. Although some tribes
reported about 450,000 enrolled tribal members, but more
choose to make enrollment figures publicly available,
than 1.5 million people reported being at least part
others have raised concerns that public release against their
Cherokee in the 2020 census.
wishes would harm tribal sovereignty. Some tribes have
also noted that once BIA collects this data, statistics might
The Census Bureau allows people to self-report in multiple
be obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA, 5
racial and ethnic categories. In 2020, 61% of people who
U.S.C. §552) requests.
identified as AI/AN were also members of at least one other
race (Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian
Current Approaches to Improving
and Other Pacific Islander, White, or Some Other Race).
Collection and Reporting
Among the 3.7 million AI/AN people who listed no other
In P.L. 115-93, Congress transferred the responsibility for
race in the 2020 census, 40% also identified as Hispanic
developing and publishing biennial tribal population reports
(which OMB at the time treated separately as an ethnicity).
from BIA to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). As of
early 2024, DOL is conducting research and outreach, and
A tribe’s service population may be larger than its enrolled
has not published a report.
population, because its service population may include
AI/ANs who are not members of that tribe. For example,
Some federal agencies are working with tribes to improve
AI/ANs or members of one tribe may live close to another
tribal data collection. In 2023, the Department of the
tribe’s reservation and may be counted in that other tribe’s
Interior led an interagency tribal consultation session on
service population. This definition of a service population
federal and tribal data priorities. They discussed collecting
enables services to reach AI/ANs from tribes that are
tribal enrollment data annually, developing a tribal service
landless or live off (but close to) a reservation.
population dataset, and exploring opportunities to check the
Census Bureau’s data for tribal affiliation self-identification
The service population metric may not fit the circumstances
against BIA tribal enrollment data to validate Census data.
of some tribes, leading to inconsistent data. For example,
The Census Bureau has also committed to working with
only tribes with reservations can report their service
AI/AN stakeholders to develop new statistical products.
populations, and many tribes and Alaska Natives do not
have reservations. Therefore, this dataset likely
Options for Congress
inadequately accounts for those groups. In addition, some
As part of its oversight and legislative role, Congress may
Oklahoma-based tribes’ service areas are based on the
consider assessing the accuracy and suitability of federal
tribes’ historic reservations, which are larger than most
agency methodologies for measuring and serving tribal
current reservations.
and/or AI/AN populations.
Past Approaches to Collection and
For example, Congress may be interested in ensuring
Reporting
consistent AI/AN and tribal data collection and use across
From 1982 to 2013, BIA released a generally biennial
federal agencies. If this is a priority, Congress may consider
American Indian Population and Labor Force Report that
defining AI/AN or tribal membership for the purpose of
collected and reported AI/AN and certain tribal population
population data collection. This definition could be based
data based on a range of data sources, including BIA field
on geography, race, tribal enrollment, or some combination.
offices, tribes, and the Census Bureau. According to BIA,
collecting reliable data for the biennial report was
Alternatively, Congress may be interested in using different
challenging. Some tribes reported confusion over whom to
datasets depending on its priorities. For example, if
include in their service populations, and concerns were
Congress is interested in benefiting certain AI/AN
raised about the accuracy and consistency of the data.
populations or tribes, it could consider specifying the use of
certain AI/AN and tribal datasets. For example, BIA has
Many tribes and other stakeholders also raised concerns
traditionally collected and used service population data to
about BIA’s publications. For example, some assert that
allocate funding, and some tribes believe that this should
using Census Bureau estimates is inappropriate because
continue because it is a relatively inclusive method. On the
they come with margins of error, which can be sizable
other hand, some tribes have suggested that BIA use a
when working with relatively small populations.
methodology that incorporates not only enrollment but also
Alternatively, some recommend using administrative data
the relative costs of addressing tribal needs, which could
already collected by federal agencies such as the U.S.
ensure that small tribes receive greater funding to achieve
Department of Health and Human Services. Other tribes
community objectives.
and tribal groups recommend using data provided by tribes.
Ben Leubsdorf, Research Librarian
Considering these challenges, some tribes have asked
Mariel J. Murray, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
federal agencies to use tribal enrollment data. Use of tribal
Nik Taylor, Senior Research Librarian
enrollment data raises a number of considerations. For
example, not all tribes may have the resources and trained
IF12612
personnel to collect consistent tribal population data with
methodologies that meet federal requirements. Some tribes

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American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data

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