2010 Census

Get Counted

The U.S. Census Bureau is making an extra effort to count American Indians and Alaska Natives, since they have had the highest undercounts of any ethnic group in the census. An estimated 12.2 percent of Natives were missed in the 1990 Census, compared to just 1.2 percent for all Americans not counted. An estimated 4.5 percent of tribal citizens were missed in the 2000 Census.

Getting an accurate count of Natives is critical since more than $400 billion in federal funding goes to Native programs nationwide, and an undercount can leave us short on resources. Many tribal groups, from national groups such as the National Congress of American Indians down to smaller local tribes, are teaming up to help the U.S. Census Bureau get an accurate count.

Census data also is used to help us know if there are health disparities that need to be fixed. This can lead to programs such as the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, which provides extra funding to many tribal health organizations (including SEARHC) for diabetes prevention since American Indians and Alaska Natives have higher rates of diabetes than the general population.