Census Bureau’s ‘My Tribal Area’ tool is helpful to some, incomplete to others

KUNC | By Emma VandenEinde

Published August 29, 2023 at 2:04 PM MDT

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Selena Rides Horse speaks with Gerald Pease at a drive-thru station set up by Western Native Voice to help members of the Crow Indian Tribe participate in the U.S. Census in Lodge Grass, Mont. on Aug. 26, 2020. Even when Indigenous people are surveyed, the results can be considered statistically insignificant because the sample size isn't large enough or the margin of error is too great to accurately reflect the population.

The Census Bureau has a tool called 'My Tribal Area' that provides accessible demographic information about tribal communities. It’s been around since 2016, but changes to the available data – or lack thereof – have affected how the tool has been received over the years.

The Census Bureau has a tool called 'My Tribal Area' that provides accessible demographic information about tribal communities. It’s been around since 2016, but changes to the available data – or lack thereof – have affected how the tool has been received over the years.