National Congress of American Indians Data Matters Tribal Sovereignty & the Measurement of Small Populations Dr. Malia Villegas, Director NCAI Policy Research Center U. S. Census Bureau: Native American Heritage Month November 14, 2012

National Congress of American Indians Overview Access to quality & meaningful data is a crucial element of tribal sovereignty “Robust data on the size and characteristics of the AI/AN [American Indian and Alaska Native] population in every community is essential to charting a course for the progress of the Native people in that community” (DeWeaver, 2010, p. ii). Federal Responsibility for Data Collection & Reporting Tribal Use of Data

National Congress of American Indians Federal Data Collection & Reporting ISSUE: ‘Counts’ related to sampling and measuring small populations, race/ethnicity classifications, agency definitions and indicators Census Decennial vs. American Community Survey OMB 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity Cross-Agency Consistency (Definitions, Indicators, & Age of Data)

National Congress of American Indians Agency Implementation of OMB Standards Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data (U.S. Department of Education, 2007) “When aggregating local data for federal reporting…the seven aggregate categories for reporting to USED are: Hispanic/Latino of any race; and, for individuals who are non-Hispanic/Latino only: – American Indian or Alaska Native, – Asian, – Black or African American, – Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, – White, and – Two or more races.”

National Congress of American Indians AI/AN Population from 2010 Census (Humes, Jones, & Ramirez, 2011)

National Congress of American Indians Why ‘Counts’ Matter Community planning – Identifying success – Identifying needs Access to federal and state funding Fostering solidarity and innovation

National Congress of American Indians Mitigating Inaccurate ‘Counts’ Inter-Agency Coordination Tribal Consultation Hold-harmless Provisions Count Question Resolution & Census Challenge Program Working Groups on Measurement of Small Populations

National Congress of American Indians Tribal Use of Data & Indicators Using Existing Data Specific to AI/AN Contexts – Census Brief: That American Indian and Alaska Native Population 2010 – Agriculture Census 2007 Employing Culturally- Based Indices & Indicators – Ka Huaka’i: Native Hawaiian Ed. Assessment (Kamehameha Schools, 2005) – Alaska Native K-12 Indicators Report (First Alaskans Institute, 2004) – AIHEC AIMS Fact Book (2009) – Others related to unique conceptions of poverty, land management, sustainability, wellness, child welfare Considering Unique Measures of ‘Status’ – Gap Comparisons – Native-to-Native Comparisons – Trend Analysis – Use of multiple data sets

National Congress of American Indians Ka Huaka’i Framework Source: Kamehameha Schools, 2005

National Congress of American Indians Dropout Rates for SY2001 to SY2006, Alaska Native and Statewide, Grades 7-12 Source: Alaska DEED

National Congress of American Indians High School Graduation Rates for SY2004, by Ethnicity and ANCSA Region Source: First Alaskans Institute, 2005

National Congress of American Indians NCAI Policy Research Center Efforts Focus on Native Youth – Young Population – Sits at the Nexus of Education & Workforce Development – Young Native Males Engagement – ANA Grant – Where are our Native Youth & Data Institutes FUDs and Database of Databases Appropriate Inclusion in National Studies – American Indian Population & Labor Force Report – FDA’s PATH Study – National Children’s Study PRC Research Update & Network Development

National Congress of American Indians Native Youth Count

National Congress of American Indians Native Youth Count

National Congress of American Indians NCAI PRC Update

National Congress of American Indians Moving Forward Together Access to quality & meaningful data is a crucial element of tribal sovereignty Responsibility to Foster Inter-Agency Coordination Duty to Explore the Meaningful Measurement of Small Populations Responsibility to Foster Leadership in AI/AN Data

National Congress of American Indians Discussion & Questions

National Congress of American Indians Contact Information Dr. Malia Villegas Director, NCAI Policy Research Center