Contact us at: whispernthunder1@gmail.comAdverse Impacts to Indigenous Communities from Proposed Census 2030
~ Debby Ball
It seems like there have been so many threats to
marginalized populations in recent times, much
of which is directly connected to the current
administration and the efforts of the Project 2025
proponents. So many facets of it pose credible
and life altering threats to so many people. Many
of the actions include dismantled programs,
weakened or cut safety-net funding, and weakened vital protections that so many communities relied on. And there are many more proposed actions ahead that only add to and exacerbate the adverse impacts on marginalized people and communities. Among the actions is the proposed 2030 Census change this administration is pushing.
The proposed 2030 Census changes will have a major impact on marginalized groups, including Indigenous populations. The changes include creating what they refer to as a “colorblind' document. The current rationalization for this is that the main objective of the census should be to focus on recognizing US citizenship and residential data.
“The Trump administration wants those demographic questions removed from the census because the survey 'should be colorblind and should not be distorted in any way by questions about immaterial personal characteristics, such as race,' the proposal says...The census has collected information about race and ethnicity since 1790, the first survey count in the US.” (1)
What does making the census so-called “colorblind” really mean? It means disparity on many levels for Indigenous communities in the US. Indigenous communities, as part of treaty agreements with the US government, receive funding for many programs and that funding, in part is influenced and determined by census data.
“Several departments across CPN use census numbers, including Workforce Development and Social Services, education, self-governance, and safety and housekeeping.
'It’s very important information, and it’s important because it’s translated to federal dollars for us,' Nichols said.
A few of the Tribal programs that depend on and receive aid from federal grants and organizations include Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act services for the Tribal area’s unemployed, child care, Department of Labor workforce funds, Housing and Urban Development resources for Indigenous people in Oklahoma, and more.
Other nonprofits and organizations that distribute funds reference census numbers as well. “ (2)
This matters. It will adversely impact Indigenous communities and treaties that should be honored will once again be betrayed. It will jeopardize marginalized peoples and communities including Indigenous Nations.
“These proposed changes are expected to be met with legal challenges. Many politicians, advocates, and experts have previously objected to the suggestion of excluding topics such as race and ethnicity from the survey.
'If you change what the census counts, then you change where the money can help most,' two staffers working in federal data policy for the Federation of American Scientists wrote in a post on the group’s website. 'Removing race and ethnicity from federal forms and surveys would leave the country unable to measure who is getting sick and dying at higher rates, unable to direct prevention programs to the communities carrying the heaviest burden, and unable to tell whether any of it is working as intended.'
'Removing race and ethnicity data does not make health disparities go away,' the post continued. 'It merely makes them harder to find, harder to measure, and harder to fix.' “ (3)
It is critical that already undercounted communities get adequately collected data to help in the determination of funding, to reduce and prevent disparities that undermine the general health and well being of these communities and to better understand the unique needs and importance of all populations that are part of a diverse, cultrally rich and contributing sectors of this country.
The public has until October 13, 2026, to submit comments on the proposed rule. Please speak up and submit comments.
Submit Electronically (Online):
Visit the official Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov. Enter the docket number USBC-2026-0628 into the search bar, and click the "Comment" button to type or attach your statement. (Note: You may submit anonymously by entering "N/A" in the required name fields).
Submit by Traditional Mail:
Send physical letters directly to the U.S. Census Bureau at:
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Designation: ADDEMO/FRN
Washington, DC 20746 (4)
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-administration-aims-exclude-many-noncitizens-census
https://www.potawatomi.org/blog/2019/08/28/census-2020-why-and-how-to-be-counted-as-a-native-american/
https://time.com/article/2026/09/11/trump-us-census-changes-proposal-
state-federal-funding-congressional-seats/
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/10/2026-18481/decennial-census-of-the-population-of-americans-proposed-residence-criteria-and-proposed-regulations