Counting Indigenous American Indians and Alaska Natives in the US census

Abstract

US census data on Indigenous American Indians have progressed from no data at all to very poor and inconsistent data to smaller (but still significant) undercounts on Indigenous lands. The first US census, conducted in 1790, explicitly excluded American Indians from being counted, in accordance with the US Constitution. Much has changed. As the U.S. gears up for the 24th decennial census in 2020, the very first Americans to be counted reside in the remote Indigenous village of Tooksook Bay, Alaska. This paper describes how the Indigenous American Indians and Alaska Natives came, first to be counted and secondly, to be counted accurately in national censuses. Joint efforts by American Indian Tribes, the National Congress of American Indians and the U.S. Census Bureau have evolved to obtain accurate and complete counts. The results of these efforts may be useful in other countries to improve participation in censuses of Indigenous people in other countries.