>Kenneth Prewitt >Director >Bureau of the Census >Department of Commerce >Washington, D.C. 20233 > >Dear Director Prewitt: >I am writing a series of articles about the 2000 census for Indigenous >periodicals and several issues have been raised in the press for which I >need answers. These issues are very important to Native American >communities. >First, some people are concerned about the loss of anonymity if they put >down their tribal affiliation in the Race question, because they may be >the only person from their tribe in the particular census tract or even in >the town or city. Will the tribal designation remain attached to any >confidential information ? >Second, we are being told by a Native advisory group to the census that if >we mark yes for the Hispanic category and then check American Indian in >the race category, we will NOT BE COUNTED AS AMERICAN INDIAN. This is of >tremendous concern because of the huge numbers of indigenous people in >Florida, Texas, and the Southwest who have Spanish-surnames or who come >from a Latin American country. Is this correct information, and if so, why >does the Bureau favor the Hispanic count over the Native count? >Third, we are also being told that if we check more than one race under >the race category that we will be aggregated in a racially-mixed category >and not counted as American Indian. Is this so? If so, why would this be, >when American Indian status is a matter of tribal affiliation or community >identity and not a matter of "purity" of blood under federal law as well >as tribal custom? >We are also being told that the Bureau still has the policy of "assigning" >persons of Mexican and other Latin American origin to the "white" category >when they select "other" or leave race blank or write in Mexican, Chicano, >or some other term. Is this still Bureau policy? If so, why is this done, >given the overwhelming anthropological evidence that Mexicans are 80% of >American Indian ancestry and only about 10% European? >Is it not correct that the OMB has redefined American Indian and Alaska >Native to include all persons of pre-Columbian ancestry from North, South >and Central America? Is this information being conveyed to census workers >who will be helping people fill out their forms? >Your responses are needed so that Indian people can decide what to check >on the forms if they are to protect their right to be counted as American >Indian. > > Sincerely yours, > > > Jack D. Forbes > Professor Emeritus > NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES > -- André Cramblit, Operations Director The Northern California Indian Development Council ( http://www.ncidc.org ) NCIDC is a non-profit organization that helps meet the social, educational, and economic development needs of American Indian communities. NCIDC operates a fine art gallery and gift boutique featuring the best of American Indian Artist's and their work, with emphasis placed on the work of the Tribes of N.W. California. (http://www.ncidc.org/gift/gifthome.htm#anchorgift)