Committee on Indian Affairs United State

Making Indian Country Count Committee on Indian Affairs United State

Administering the census is a task so fundamental to how our government operates that our Nation's founders included it in the Constitution. With far-reaching consequences, our founders' decision was for a good reason. Valid and accurate census data is the bedrock of fair, proportionate representation in our democracy. The census's detailed demographic data is used to implement the Voting Rights Act. An inaccurate census risks underrepresentation for tribal communities, and an undercount can lead to skewed State, local, and Federal voting districts that diminish the voices of those communities. The census has a big impact on Indian Country when it comes to voting, one or our most essential civil rights. Basic obligations like language assistance at the polls and voter registration in tribal communities' own language can be influenced by an undercount, and Federal agencies rely on the census and American community survey data when enforcing civil rights laws. The results of the census have a ripple effect beyond just the government. Businesses look at these population estimates when looking to expand, and they influence how communities, including Tribes, plan for schools and hospitals. That makes it all the more important that we get the census right. Unfortunately, the Bureau certainly hasn't in the past. In 1990, the census undercounted the American Indian population on reservations by 12 percent; then undercounted that population again in 2010 by 5 percent.