Census workers urge tribes to participate
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010 at 6:09 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 8, 2010 at 6:09 p.m.
Census officials are reaching out to hard-to-count groups such as Indian tribes and other minorities, and on Monday brought their road show to the offices of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo in Healdsburg.
“There’s a lot of distrust of the federal government for obvious reasons,” said Jim Meadows, a Census 2010 official. “We’re trying to make sure they’re counted and counted accurately.”
Census officials say the federal government annually distributes more than $400 billion to state, local communities and tribes, and uses census data to make decisions on what community services to provide.
“If you undercount, you lose social services,” Meadows said.
That message was at the heart of Monday’s event, which drew members of five Sonoma County tribes and was hosted by the Dry Creek Rancheria. Funding for services essential to tribes, including housing, medical care and education grants, are linked to the census.
“We’re trying to say to tribes: ‘Stand up and be counted,’ ” said Harvey Hopkins, chairman of the Dry Creek Rancheria.
A decade ago there were 5,389 people in Sonoma County who classified themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native. Officials estimate that population has shrunk, but Hopkins said there are indications to the contrary, including growing tribal enrollments.
“Ten thousand years of being here; 500 years of not being counted; one year to get it right,” is how Reg Elgin, cultural coordinator for the Dry Creek Rancheria, summarized the goal to ensure Indians are counted properly.
Monday’s meeting also was a gathering to inspire a sense of community among the tribes.
Gus Pina, vice-chairman of the Dry Creek Rancheria, said tribes often have been at odds, including when they were herded together in Round Valley in Mendocino County, in the late 1800s.
“There hasn’t always been consensus on issues that matter to them,” he said.
More than 100 tribal members gathered to hear about the importance of participating in the Census and to share lunch. Besides Dry Creek, other tribes invited included the Lytton Rancheria, Kashia Band, Cloverdale Rancheria and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
Organizers had celebrities on hand, including former pro football star and Cardinal Newman graduate Jerry Robinson, along with Jerry Smith, a former Harlem Globetrotter.
Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua, a Healdsburg resident who is campaigning for re-election, told the audience it is especially important that women, children and seniors are counted, not only for resources that can flow to them, but “to hear from them.”
As Elgin cooked Indian fry bread, he joked that one slogan they considered for the event was “Let’s party like it’s 1491.”
Census officials said it is not only Indian tribes and social services that are at stake. California also is in danger of losing a Congressional seat if the population is undercounted.
Census officials say they are blanketing the country, stopping at more than 800 events and traveling more than 150,000 miles with a dozen regional vehicles that feature interactive media displays.
They are targeting minorities and undocumented workers who have a reluctance to participate.
Officials say the 2010 Census document is one of the shortest in history with only 10 questions that take about 10 minutes to complete. And they stress that strict confidentiality laws protect the information provided by participants.
They said they want people to mail back the census form when it arrives in mailboxes next month.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.