Request for an Improvement in the Reporting of American Indian and Alaska Native Data Currently Collected by the American Community Survey (ACS) of the US Census

WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), established in 1972, serves all Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal governments by advocating for the improvement of health care delivery to AI/ANs, as well as upholding the Federal government’s trust responsibility to AI/AN Tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, Tribes have a unique government-to-government relationship with the federal government, and it is required that the federal government consult with Tribes before major policy changes; and,

WHEREAS, Tribal Nations are political, sovereign entities whose status stems from the inherent sovereignty they possess as self-governing people predating the founding of the United States, and since its founding the United States has recognized them as such and entered into treaties with them on that basis; and,

WHEREAS, Executive Order 13175 sets forth clear definitions and frameworks for consultation, policymaking and accountability to ensure that consultation with Indian Tribes is meaningful; and

WHEREAS, the US Census is an agency within the Department of Commerce that produces data on the nation’s population and economy; and

WHEREAS, the American Community Survey is the annual Survey of the US Census that replaced the long form of the every ten year, decennial census; and

WHEREAS, the American Community Survey interviews approximately 16,000 American Indian and Alaska Native households and approximately 64,000 members of these households; and

WHEREAS, the American Community Survey is utilized for many purposes including the distribution of federal grants where population is part of the distribution formula; and