Native Americans are one of the groups most likely to be undercounted during the 2020 census.
During the last population count in 2010, the Census Bureau estimated that it miscounted Native Americans living on reservations by almost 5 percent.
That’s partially due to the rural location of many reservations – they face challenges like far-flung populations, limited access to broadband internet and homes that don’t have street addresses.
But tribal officials say distrust of the federal government also plays a role – especially in the wake of the administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the upcoming census, which was seen as an attempt to target immigrants from Latin America, many of whom have an indigenous background.
Stacey Montooth is Executive Director of the Nevada Indian Commission. She’ll explain some of the ways state and tribal authorities are reaching out to native residents of the state and what’s at stake for their communities.
Stacey Montooth, Executive Director, Nevada Indian Commission.