Press Release Census 2000: Cherokee take on Census 2000

A large undercount of Native Americans who don't fill out Census 2000 forms this year may seriously affect their area's entire native population for the next decade.

Every 10 years the Census Bureau conducts an accounting of U. S. residents, and on Census Day, April 1, Native Americans who don't get counted may lose out on billions of U.S. budget dollars distributed each year. This is money Congress allocates for health and social programs such as housing, health and child welfare services. Native Americans experienced the most serious undercount in the Census 1990. Only 65 percent of all forms distributed throughout the 14-county area of Northeastern Oklahoma were returned, which meant many Indian people were not considered when it came to funding consideration. An inaccurate count means 10 years of under-funded areas, Tahlequah Census Office Assistant Manager of Recruiting Titus Frenchman said. "If you don't have the population, you don't have the funding," Frenchman said. "It's just more available to communities with higher populations."

Tribal funding for roads, schools and community infrastructure that includes hospitals will be impacted by the power of numbers, he said. Information compiled produces numbers used for apportionment of funds, including those used by emergency agencies in the aftermath of a natural disaster. That information determines the number of people affected, what type and how much assistance may be needed.

Since 1990, it is estimated the state of Oklahoma has lost approximately $13 million a year in federal funds because the 1990 census undercounted the state's native population.

Tribes nationwide, including the Cherokee Nation, are working with the Census Bureau to combat the low tally from the last census when there was a 12.5 percent under count of Native Americans.

A resolution approved by the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council calls for the formation of a steering committee to promote the census throughout the tribe's 14-county jurisdictional area.

"The purpose of the committee is to bring together a representative team of active community members to develop and implement a 'Census 2000' awareness campaign," said Laura Harjo, manager of the Cherokee Nation GeoData Center and tribal liaison to the Census Bureau.

Frenchman, a full-blood Delaware, is one of the first Native Americans to work in census offices in Oklahoma. He said the count also will affect government seats, so he wants the Cherokee Nation to reap the benefits from an accurate tabulation.

"What we do here, in just this small span of time, will affect the next 10 years," Frenchman said. "And if one person in one county doesn't turn in the information, it reduces their allocation of funding times ten."

The Census Bureau will mass mail census forms to all households in the United States March 1. Through March and May, census takers will visit housing units in rural and remote areas to drop off and pick up forms. Visits will continue through June, for those who do not return a form. The census will wrap up with apportionment counts by Dec. 31.

Glenda Ahhaitty, National American Indian 2000 Census Advisory Committee member in Los Angeles, said it is critical to educate Indian communities on how to fill out the census form.

"Indian communities stand to be the big losers after the 2000 Census is tabulated due to possible tabulation methodology," she said. "The main data set that is used for voter redistricting or reapportionment and major allocations of funds is all individuals of a single race, Hispanic origin and two or more races. Another factor that is critical is who fills out the form as head of household. If a Cherokee woman is married to a man of another race, she must fill out the
form so we don't lose the count of her and her children."

If a Cherokee is married to a non-Indian, or living in a household where the head of household is non-Indian, they will be tabulated as non-Indian. Ahhaitty said, Indians need to remember three important things: fill out the form themselves, check no to the Hispanic/Latino question and don't check more than one race if they want to be counted as Indian. Enrollment in the tribes is not required for the census.

Census 2000 will be the largest peacetime operation in the U.S. history, employing approximately 285,000 people across the United States. Approximately 6,000 workers will be divided among the six local census offices in Oklahoma, which include Tahlequah, Tulsa, Shawnee, Oklahoma City, Enid and Duncan.

The Tahlequah office will be responsible for conducting census operations for the Cherokee Nation's 14-county jurisdictional area, which includes Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Sequoyah, Washington and portions of McIntosh, Muskogee, Ottawa, Tulsa and Wagoner Counties. In addition to the Tahlequah office, five additional census offices are located across the state in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Duncan, Enid and Shawnee.

For more information about Census 2000 or Census 2000 job opportunities, visit the Census 2000 office at the Cherokee Nation Complex, 3.5 miles west of Tahlequah on Hwy. 62, directly behind the Restaurant of the Cherokees, or call (918) 458-1983, Ext. 101.

People interested in assisting with the Tribal Complete Count Committee may contact Laura Harjo, (918) 456-0671, Ext. 2421.