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Census.govNewsroomReleases2010 Census

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**CB07-CN.02**
**Contact:**  Public Information Office(301) 763-3030 (phone)(301) 763-3762 (fax)(301) 457-1037 (TDD)PIO@census.gov

## FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2007

## The Key to an Accurate Census of American Indians is Early Participation by Tribal Governments

The U.S. Census Bureau today began mailing     advance informational booklets to all federally recognized tribal governments     asking for assistance in providing updated addresses for their reservations     and off-reservation trust lands. This early, concerted effort is part of the     Census Bureau’s plan to make the 2010 Census as accurate as possible.

     A     complete address list is essential to an accurate count of everyone living     on reservations and off-reservation trust lands in 2010.

"The Census Bureau has a constitutional     mandate to count everyone living in the United States, count them only once,     and count them in the right place,” said Census Bureau Deputy Director     Preston Jay Waite. “Developing an accurate and up-to-date Master Address     File is the first and most vital stage of the decennial census process, ensuring     that people residing at the addresses listed in the file will be counted in     2010."

In partnership with the Census Bureau, tribal     governments will use their local knowledge to improve the addresses for housing     units, group quarters addresses and new housing developments within their     reservations and trust lands. Addresses located on federally recognized reservations     and trust lands will be provided for review only to the associated tribal     government.

"The Census Bureau is committed to working     with tribal governments to obtain a complete count of American Indians in     2010" Waite said. "Since Census 2000, the Census Bureau has become     more aware of tribal and cultural issues that may affect the upcoming census     operations at the local level."

The Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota     was one of only two sites nationwide selected by the Census Bureau to participate     in a 2006 Census Test designed to improve counting methods for the 2010 Census.     Additionally, the Census Bureau plans to conduct a series of American Indian     and Alaska Native consultation meetings this year with federally recognized     tribes across the country in preparation for the 2010 Census.

"Decennial census data directly affects     how federal agencies make funding decisions for programs designed to assist     American Indian and Alaska Native people," said Gregory Richardson,     chair of the Census Bureau's Advisory Committee on the American Indian     and Alaska Native populations. "Participation in the Local Update of     Census Addresses (LUCA) program is the first crucial step tribal leaders must     take to obtain an accurate count of our people."

Dating back to the nation's first census     in 1790, the 2010 Census will have one of the shortest census questionnaires     in the history of the United States. Asking just seven or so questions of     all residents, the census will take most households about ten minutes to fill     out and will result in a simpler, less costly and more accurate census.

The information contained in the address list     is confidential by law. Those who choose to participate and review the address     list must take an oath to protect the information they collect. Like all census     employees, those who review and update a confidential address list are subject     to a jail term, a fine or both if they disclose any protected information.

For more information, visit the 2010 Census     LUCA Program at <https://www.census.gov/geo/www/luca2010/luca.html>.

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