Library

In recognition of the importance of engaging with tribal nations when designing the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau conducted a series of tribal consultations. To ensure an accurate count of all American Indians and Alaska Natives in the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau held two tribal consultations specifically for Oklahoma tribes to discuss the unique way their tribal lands are mapped and how this affects the data produced. The objectives of the tribal consultation meetings with Oklahoma tribes included:

• encouraging open communication between the Census Bureau and tribes,
• gathering tribal input on how to map Oklahoma tribal lands,
• recording and addressing outcomes and recommendations, and
• providing information on and answering questions about Census Bureau programs and the 2020 Census.

The meeting agenda focused on tribal geography, a tribal consultation topic from the 2020 Census Tribal Consultation Handbook of particular relevance to Oklahoma tribes due to their unique geographic designations.

This report summarizes input on this topic gathered from tribal representatives. Next, the report explores two overarching themes that surfaced repeatedly during the consultation. These topics include:

• the implications of census data on tribal programs and planning and
• tribal recommendations for enumerating tribal citizens in Oklahoma.

This report concludes by outlining next steps identified during the tribal consultations with Oklahoma tribes. For reference, the notes from each consultation are included as appendices.