The U.S. Census Bureau and the National American Indian Housing Council signed a memorandum of understanding today to help increase the response rates to the Tribal Boundary and Annexation Survey. Nancy Potok, the Census Bureau's deputy director, and Cheryl Causley, chair of the NAIHC, signed the memorandum during the council's legislative conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. The survey, in part, maintains information about legal boundaries as well as the names and official status of federally recognized American Indian reservations. The NAIHC will assist the Census Bureau in developing and disseminating educational and outreach products concerning the survey. In turn, the Census Bureau will provide training on how to respond to the survey and how to use the mapping technology and products derived from it. The Census Bureau's past collaboration with the NAIHC and National Congress of American Indians has contributed to better understanding of the survey's importance and to an increase in participation.

"For tribal nations, Census data is essential in determining funding for vital programs such as the Indian Housing Block Grant Formula, Community Development Block Grants, the Workforce Investment Program, and Low Income Energy Assistance," said Deputy Director Nancy Potok.

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