The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is conducting its own door-to-door Tribal Census for the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and is asking all reservation residents to participate in the process.
According to a statement issued by Tribal Secretary Ev Ann White Feather, tribal census takers will be enrolled members of the CRST who reside on the reservation. White Feather said the in-house census is being conducted to establish proportionate representation on the tribal council, potential increased funding for essential services, and a more equitable allocation of tribal resources. It comes on the heels of the tribe receiving more than $105 million in funding through the American Rescue Plan.
The tribe will use population data to determine whether the number of tribal council representatives from each voting district is proportionate to the number of people living within the district; to advocate for increased federal, state and local funding for essential services such as education, housing, healthcare, police and fire protection, roads and more; and to ensure that all communities on the Cheyenne River Reservation receive adequate funding and services to meet the needs of the people.
White Feather said all personal information will remain confidential and will not be shared with any government agency or program. A detailed tribal census report will be produced, including population, employment, and income statistics and maps for all communities.
The tribal census is not part of the U.S. Census.