Press Release Census 2000: AIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations of the Census Advisory Committee on the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations

Made as a result of Advisory Committee meetings on July 14-16, 1999

The Census Advisory Committee on the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations made the following recommendations to the Director, Bureau of the Census, during its meeting on July 15-16, 1999. Comments showing the responses and actions taken or to be taken by the Census Bureau accompany each recommendation.

RECOMMENDATION 1

Contact Alaska Native Regional Corporations

"The American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Committee recommends that the state liaison in Alaska contact all Alaska Native Regional Corporations and provide them with information about the Year Census 2000, to assure that the Alaska Native population served by such Corporations will be counted during the census and that census data tabulations include the community served by these corporations."

RECOMMENDATION 2

Expand Recruitment Efforts

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the Census Bureau increase and expand its recruitment efforts in/or near American Indian communities to increase the number of American Indians employed at the Census Bureau.

RECOMMENDATION 3

Camera- Ready Quality Images for Logos

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the U.S. Census Bureau create camera-ready quality images of logos in varying sizes on one or two sheets of paper for use in locally-generated educational or promotional materials."

RECOMMENDATION 4

Census 2000 Race Code List

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the race code list be forwarded to all federal and state recognized tribal governments, major American Indian Advisory organizations, i.e.; National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Education Association, National American Indian Housing Council, as well as any other pertinent Indian associations. The Census Bureau should encourage and educate tribal leaders, liaisons and enumerators about the race code list and urge them to establish a standard list of tribal names for each federal and state recognized tribe. This will help educate the tribal members and enumerators as to what is recognized as a standard tribal name. The standard tribal name is necessary to help reduce the potential of tribal members writing the incorrect tribal name on the Census
2000 form."

RECOMMENDATION 5

Implement Statistical Areas Program for AIAN Areas

"The AIAN Committee recommends that proposed State Designated American Indian Statistical Areas (SDAISA) and the Tribal Jurisdictional Statistical Area (TJSA) programs be fully implemented. The program is currently being held up by the Census Bureau and further delay in finalizing this program may result in an undercount of American Indians who do not reside on reservations."

RECOMMENDATION 6

Statement of Credit for Building Awareness Poster

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the statement of credit for American Indian and Alaska Native Census 2000 posters read to reflect the following: 'The poster celebrates diversity in America by featuring one of the century's finest American Indian artists, Allan Houser, (1914 - 1994), a Chiricahua Apache.'"

RECOMMENDATION 7

Develop Maps and Products for American Indians and Alaska Natives

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the Geography division work with the tribes and data users to develop thematic maps and products on the American Indian and Alaska Native populations."

RECOMMENDATION 8

Develop an American Indian and Alaska Native Atlas

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the Census Bureau explore and plan the development of an American Indian and Alaska Native Atlas, including all American Indian and Alaska Native geography areas in one reference document and files that are accessible in electronic format through the Internet and CD-ROM."

RECOMMENDATION 9

Curriculum on Census Geography and Data Products

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the Geography division work with the tribes and data users to develop curriculum that explains census geography and the use of data products for tribal community development."

RECOMMENDATION 10

Use of Indian Mascots

"The AIAN Committee recommends that a policy on the use of degrading Indian mascots be mitigated by the omission of offending names, symbols, and logos with general references, e.g., the 'Washington Redskins' becomes the 'Washington D.C. Professional Football Team.'"

RECOMMENDATION 11

Image for American Indian and Alaska Native Internet Page

"The AIAN Committee hearby amends its recommendation No. 5 from the March 16-17, 1999, REAC meeting regarding the American Indian and Alaska Native Internet page use of Allan Houser's sculpture for the 'Building Awareness' poster. Instead, the simple Census 2000 Indian Logo should be used as a 'hot button'; however, this awareness poster and others to be developed may be placed in a sub-menu for public Internet view, including contact information on how to access the posters. This concept of 'marketing' the posters is applicable to all other race and ethnicity posters and promotional materials."

RECOMMENDATION 12

Correction Factors for Adjusting the Count of American Indians and Alaska Natives

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the Census Bureau thoroughly document and indicate the correction factors used to adjust the Census 2000 counts of American Indians and Alaska Natives. In particular, the correction factors applied to Urban Indian populations should be made explicit in all Census products where these data appear."

RECOMMENDATION 13

Establish Permanent Tribal Liaison Office

"The AIAN Committee recommends that the U.S. Census Bureau permanently establish the Tribal Liaison Office (TLO) program as well as some staffing of regional partnership specialists who work with tribes. This will ensure continuity through the next decennial census and support the development of the American Community Survey."