Kelli, The Choctaw Nation is sending out census cards to the Members of the Choctaw Nation inside Oklahoma as well as outside the state with instructions on how to fill the cards out. If we want our families to be counted as Choctaw, we (Choctaw Member) must declare ourselves head of the household and all the family members plus our spouse will be counted as Choctaws. But, if any white or other nationality fills out the card as head of the household the Choctaw nation can not count any of members of the family as Choctaws. I do not think that the census can be padded. If you have a CDIB card that does not make you a member of any Indian Nation. You must apply for the membership only after you have acquired your CDIB Card. We are to send our census card back to the Choctaw Nation. So, I assume that you are right. I do not know what the Choctaw Nation does with their part of the census cards but I would assume that after checking our names off that they send the cards on to the Federal Census Takers as the tribes receive money for each census card that is correctly filled out. Don't fudge the truth. It's not right and nobody wants to be brought up a short and have to account for their white lie. Although we (the Choctaw Nation) appreciate the gesture! Ellen > [Original Message] > From: Kelli Staples <kmstapl@hotmail.com> > To: <CHOCTAW-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 2/15/00 1:42:34 PM > Subject: Re: [CHOCTAW] 2000 census > > You have to have a CDIB card to put down you are Choctaw. Hopefully someone > on the list can confirm this. > > Kelli > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <CrazyCL52@aol.com> > To: <CHOCTAW-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 10:36 AM > Subject: [CHOCTAW] 2000 census > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > I have a ? about marking the census as Indian. I was always told that I > had > > Indian in us but as of yet I have not been able to prove it. So should I > > still mark it as Indian since I may in fact not be Indian? Or should you > > only mark it as Indian if you are registered? I want to be truthful but I > > also want the Indians to be counted too so that they may get all that they > > deserve. Can someone answer this ? for me. Thanks. > > > > Carol > > > > > > ==== CHOCTAW Mailing List ==== > > Looking for your Native American Ancestors in > > Pushmataha County, Oklahoma? > > Have a look -- http://www.rootsweb.com/~okpushma/ > > > > > > > ==== CHOCTAW Mailing List ==== > OK Surname Registry - added yours? http://www.rootsweb.com/~oknames/ > Search 4 surnames - http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/search.htm > --- Ellen Scott --- us2scotts@earthlink.net --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.