U.S. Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. Photo: United States Census Bureau / Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Tribal nations and Native organizations have until Monday, Nov. 2, to submit comments on a proposed U.S. Census Bureau rule that could change how people are counted in the 2030 census, Native News Online reported.
The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Sept. 10 (document 2026-18481) and addresses the bureau’s residence criteria, the rules that determine where people are counted, along with the demographic questions asked.
A consultation on short notice
The bureau held a tribal consultation on Oct. 2. According to the National Congress of American Indians, the bureau gave only two weeks’ notice, rather than its standard 30 days, citing operational deadlines for the 2030 census and ongoing litigation related to the 2020 census.
NCAI has requested additional tribal consultation and had not received a response, according to Native News Online. The organization is encouraging tribal nations and organizations to request further consultation using its letter as a template. NCAI has also warned that changes to demographic questions could affect the race and ethnicity data on which tribes and Native organizations rely.
Why the count matters
Census data shape the distribution of federal funding, the drawing of legislative districts and the information tribal governments use to plan services. Native people, both on reservations and in cities, have historically been among the most undercounted populations in the census. Any change to how residence is defined or how race and ethnicity are recorded can affect whether Native people are counted and where.
The Census Bureau’s own post-enumeration survey estimated that the 2020 census undercounted American Indians and Alaska Natives living on reservations by 5.64%, one of the largest undercounts of any group. Tribal leaders have warned that rushed changes could make the 2030 count worse.
For urban Indian organizations, which serve Native people living away from tribal lands, accurate census data on American Indian and Alaska Native identity is especially important, because those populations are harder to identify through tribal enrollment records.
How to comment
Comments can be submitted at Regulations.gov under docket number USBC-2026-0628. Written comments may also be mailed to: U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Designation: ADDEMO/FRN, Washington, DC 20746.
Sources: Native News Online; Federal Register.
