Governor Bill AnoatubbyA very important mailing from the U.S. Census Bureau goes out on March 14. Your response to this mailing is of critical importance to the Chickasaw Nation, as well as all tribes and tribal citizens across the country.
The piece you will receive in your mailbox is the 2010 U.S. Census form. The form is easy to complete, and it has tremendous power to help you, your fellow Indian citizens and your country.
Approximately $3 trillion in federal funding will be allocated based on the results of the 2010 Census. These dollars will be allocated to tribal, local and state governments over the decade following this census. All tribes count on their citizens to follow up, complete the surveys and mail them back. We only have this opportunity once every decade!
For tribal communities, 2010 Census results will impact many essential programs including education, health care, food distribution, employment assistance, housing, community development block grants, Indian Child Welfare and more.
As a tribal nation, we have together taken some mighty steps along the road to self-sufficiency. Our tribe has now established its own vibrant and growing businesses that contribute greatly to the programs and services Chickasaw count on every day.
However, funds from the federal government continue to play an important role in our tribal development. These are the funds that are sensitive to the results of the 2010 Census, and they represent an aspect of our overall funding we must protect.
The 2010 Census form you will receive in the mail will require you answer only 10 questions. You will be asked about your home, your phone number and the number of people who live in your home.
Remember, all questions from the U.S. Census Bureau are confidential and are shared with no outside entities.
For each household member, the form will ask for name, sex, date of birth, and relationship to the person who owns or rents the home. It will also ask if anyone in the home sometimes lives elsewhere.
The most important question for us as Chickasaws is question nine, which asks your race. If you are a Chickasaw, whether or not you are enrolled with the tribe, it is important you check the "American Indian or Alaska Native" box. The form then asks you to print the name of your enrolled or principal tribe and you would, of course, enter "Chickasaw."
It is important to our tribe and our citizens that you mark the "American Indian or Alaska Native" box alone, then fill in the tribe's name in the space provided.
It is such a simple, but incredibly important task. It should take you no more than about 10 minutes to complete the form and send it back. No return postage is required, but the U.S. Census Bureau requires the form be returned no later than September 30.
This small task is not only important for you and your family – it is important to your fellow Chickasaws, their families and all our future generations. Your answers on the 2010 Census form have the power to collectively make a huge and positive difference for many, many Indian citizens.
Thank you for your help. And please watch your mailbox in March for your 2010 Census form!
