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Diverse Radio for Minnesota's Communities
This week… Census Day is coming up. Households will receive notices as to how to complete the census in March.
Historically, Native populations have been undercounted in the census, but there’s been growing work done to make sure all Native people are counted.
Marie: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock.
Headlines: This week… Census Day is coming up. Households will receive notices as to how to complete the census in March.
Historically, Native populations have been undercounted in the census, but there’s been growing work done to make sure all Native people are counted.
Here’s reporter Leah Lemm with the story.
STORY #1 - INDIAN COUNTRY GEARS UP FOR 2020 CENSUS
Wayne Ducheneaux: the United States census is a call for in the constitution. And if you read it, it's the only real requirement is a decennial count of all the people who reside in the country.
REPORTER: That’s Wayne Ducheneaux, he’s the Executive Director of the Native Governance Center.
Wayne Ducheneaux: at native governance center, what we've done this year is we've worked really hard to gather resources to just kind of get directly in the hands of tribes to help them with their census counts.
REPORTER: Spreading *accurate* information to tribes is key in getting an *accurate* count.
The census and the data it collects is a really significant source of information. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has several examples of how the information is used… including how many seats states get in the house of representatives, but also informs federal funding allocations and policy making.
Native populations have been undercounted for many reasons.
Wayne Ducheneaux: 8:00 and that goes back to treaty times and rights and responsibilities of tribal nations and the U S government. And in those instances, one side, more often than not has lived up to the responsibility side. The side that hasn't obviously is the federal government a lot of native folks feel. And so there's a general mistrust, um, when it comes to, you know, any federal program, any federal organization coming to your door in this instance with a sense of who you are.
REPORTER: So what will help? Wayne has stressed is education, and that the details provided by citizens on the census is confidential.
Wayne Ducheneaux: 9:30 There should be no instance where reporting accurately the composition of your household to the United States census could have an adverse effect on you in any way, shape or form with other federal programs, tribal programs, what have you.
REPORTER: The US Census Bureau estimates that American Indian and Alaskan Natives were undercounted by almost 5% in the 2010 census. Which is about double the undercount rate of the next race. So there’s a good amount fo work to do to ensure an accurate count, and there are many folks up to the challenge.
Shelly Diaz: 10:40 We decided to call ourself the Minnesota tribal coalition for the 2020 census. And this is the tribal hub that is one of the five hubs that have been created to address and increase participation for the hard to count communities.
REPORTER: I spoke with Shelly Diaz who is working to get an accurate census count for Native people in Minnesota.
Shelly Diaz: I’m a Mille lacs band member. I am the urban liaison and the chief executive office and I'm also the coordinator for the Minnesota tribal hub for the 2020 census.
REPORTER: She focuses on getting the message out about the census, accurately and to everyone.
Shelly Diaz: liaisons get out there in the communities and make sure that, you know, we're able to figure out a way to help people like have computers available in, uh, in our government centers. Um, provide hotspots and areas for people to be able to have wifi connection. Yeah. So we're trying to get all hands on deck and all ways possible to get the census completed.
REPORTER: And what’s a good way to get a message out? Powwows. March 21st has been declared 2020 Census Powwow Day.
Shelly Diaz: we also received resolution from the Minnesota Indian affairs council. And this is a day and a day it's going to be like the census kickoff, but it's a way to indigenize the census and make it ours.
REPORTER: There will be a powwow celebration at the Minneapolis American Indian Center as a part of the March 21st Census Powwow Day. Tribes will also host their own events.
More information can be found on the census website: census twenty twenty DOT GOV
Additionally, the National Congress of American Indians initiative which provides plenty of information about the census in Indian Country can be found at Indian Country Counts DOT ORG
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Leah Lemm.