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1 1 (March 18, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveoqj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: a Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 Updated March 18, 2024 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Tribal Population Data Overview Federal agencies collect population data, including on American Indian and Alaska Native (Al/AN) communities and federally recognized tribes (hereinafter tribes), to allocate funding and provide services. There is no uniform definition of Al/AN populations or tribal enrollment, and federal agencies rely on different sources for these data. This In Focus describes select Al/AN and tribal population data sources, differences among these sources, past collection and reporting practices, current efforts to improve collection and reporting practices, and possible congressional policy considerations. Population Data Sources Tribal Enrollment Data Tribal enrollment, which may also be known as citizenship or membership, is one source of information on tribal populations. Because tribes are sovereign nations, every tribe generally determines its own criteria for who is eligible to become a tribal citizen or member, which may include factors such as degree of tribal ancestry. Many tribes provide enrollment data on their official websites. Others view enrollment data as proprietary information. While tribes have historically submitted enrollment data to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), currently, the agency does not publicly report those figures. BIA's Tribal Service Population Data BIA calculates the tribal service population to determine eligibility for its services. The Snyder Act of 1921 (25 U.S.C. § 13) authorizes BIA to operate programs and spend federal funds for the benefit and assistance of tribes and individual tribal members throughout the United States. BIA determines a tribe's service population based on the tribe's estimate of all tribal individuals who live on or near its reservation (25 C.F.R. §20.100). There are about 326 tribal reservations with a total national service population of nearly 2 million. Currently, tribal service population data are not publicly available below the national level. U.S. Census Bureau's Al/AN Data The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial enumeration of the population required by the Constitution (Article I, Section 2, clause 3) and operates other programs to measure the nation's people and economy. The Census Bureau relies on individual self-identification as AI/AN using the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) standardized definitions for racial and ethnic categories. OMB currently defines American Indian or Alaska Native as a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. In 2020, the Census Bureau counted 9,666,058 people who identified as AI/AN. This figure includes members of more than one racial group. The Census Bureau also allows people to list detailed ancestry, origin, and/or tribal affiliation; selected groups appear in Table 1. Table I. Self-Reported Affiliation, 2020 Self-identification by American Indians and Alaska Natives Group Population Cherokee 1,513,326 Aztec 583,981 Navajo Nation 423,412 Maya 300,519 Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian 297,899 Reservation of Montana Choctaw 255,557 Alaska Native 241,797 Chippewa 130,048 Apache 129,589 Sioux 126,571 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A, Table T0 1001. Notes: This list contains 10 of the largest groupings out of more than 1,000 groups, such as tribes and villages. Individuals may choose to identify as being part of more than one group and, when that occurs, will be counted more than once. Annual estimates for the overall AI/AN population are available from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), a large-scale survey of U.S. households. Those estimates are available at the national level as well as for states, congressional districts, and other geographic areas. The decennial census, which provides an actual count of the AI/AN population and a more granular breakdown by self-identified tribal affiliation, is next scheduled for 2030. Differences Among Data Sources The data sources described above provide varying population estimates due to a number of factors, including the absence of a statutory definition of Al/AN or tribal populations. For example, the Census Bureau's figures rely on a relatively broad definition of Al/AN, while criteria for

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