Census Reaching Out to Indian Tribes

Ernest Salgado is an 89-year-old member of the Soboba Indian tribe. The World War II vet is also the eldest tribal member and the first to be counted for the 2010 Census.

“My message to my fellow tribal members is that we must all take part in this Census process,” said Salgado.

Rose Salgado says her father, participating in his first census, wanted to set an example for other members of their tribal nation.

“Our numbers are so low, we really need to be counted,” said Salgado.

The tribe’s response rate for the last census was poor — less than 50 percent. And it lost out on a chunk of federal funding.

Tribal members say, back then, the process was intimidating.

“All we got 10 years ago was ‘we’re here, let us take your information.’ That was it,” said Salgado.

But that’s changed. The tribe says, this time, the census has done a much better job of reaching out.

“They’ve come to tribal council meetings, met with us one on one,” said Salgado.

Also new, Native Americans have been hired to do census work on reservations. The census worker taking Ernest’s information just happened to be his great niece.

“A lot of the elders have been through a lot of misdealings with the U.S. government and here they are, going to participate, for the first time, in the census,” said Kyle Crandell, a census partnership specialist and Native American. “That sends a strong message throughout Native American communities.”