Profile America Facts for Features: American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2012

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, getting endorsements from 24 state governments, to have a day to honor American Indians. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations have been issued every year since 1994. This Facts for Features presents statistics for American Indians and Alaska Natives, as this is one of the six major race categories.

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Note: Unless otherwise specified, the statistics in the "Population" section refer to the population who reported a race alone or in combination with one or more other races. 

Population

5.1 million                
As of the 2011 American Community Survey, the nation's population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race. They made up 1.6 percent of the total population. Of this total, about half were American Indian and Alaska Native only, and about half were American Indian and Alaska Native in combination with one or more other races.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~009

8.6 million                  
The projected population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race, on July 1, 2050. They would comprise 2 percent of the total population.
Source: Population projections http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/summarytables.html

1.1 million
Increase in the nation's American Indian and Alaska Native population between the 2000 Census and 2010 Census. The population of this group increased by 26.7 percent during this period compared with the overall population growth of 9.7 percent.
Source: Census 2000 Brief: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-1.pdf and 2010 Census Brief: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf

689,320
The American Indian and Alaska Native population in California as of the 2011 American Community Survey. California was followed by Oklahoma (502,934) and Arizona (346,380).
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~009

14
Number of states with more than 100,000 American Indian and Alaska Native residents as of the 2011 American Community Survey. These states were California, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Washington, North Carolina, New York, Florida, Michigan, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Minnesota. Source: 2011 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~009

19.7%
The proportion of Alaska's population identified as American Indian and Alaska Native as of the 2011 American Community Survey, the highest rate for this race group of any state. Alaska was followed by Oklahoma (13.3 percent), South Dakota (10.4 percent), and New Mexico (10.4 percent). Source: 2011 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~009

31.3
Median age for those who are American Indian and Alaska Native, and no other race. This compares with a median age of 37.3 for the U.S. population as a whole.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~006

Reservations

324
Number of federally recognized American Indian reservations in 2010. All in all, excluding Hawaiian Home Lands, there are 617 American Indian and Alaska Native legal and statistical areas for which the Census Bureau provides statistics.
Source: Census Bureau Geography Division

22%
Percentage of American Indians and Alaska Natives, alone or in combination, who lived in American Indian areas or Alaska Native Village Statistical Areas in 2010. These American Indian areas include federal American Indian reservations and/or off-reservation trust lands, Oklahoma tribal statistical areas, tribal designated statistical areas, state American Indian reservations, and state designated American Indian statistical areas.
Source: 2010 Census Summary File 1

Tribes

566
Number of federally recognized Indian tribes.
Source: Bureau of Indian Affairs
http://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/text/idc015898.pdf

100,000+
In the 2010 Census, the tribal groupings with 100,000 or more responses for the American Indian and Alaska Native alone-or-in-any combination population were Cherokee (819,105), Navajo (332,129), Choctaw (195,764), Mexican American Indian (175,494), Chippewa (170,742), Sioux (170,110), Apache (111,810) and Blackfeet (105,304).
Source:  2010 Census Summary File 1, Table PCT3
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/PCT3

Families

557,425
The number of American Indian and Alaska Native family households in 2011 (households with a householder who was American Indian and Alaska Native alone). Of these, 56.6 percent were married-couple families, including those with children. Source: 2011 American Community Survey http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B11001C

29.3 and 27.7
Median age at first marriage for American Indian and Alaska Native men and women age 15 to 54, respectively, in 2011. For the U.S. population as a whole in this age range, the respective numbers were 28.9 and 26.9 years. The differences in the median age at first marriage between American Indian and Alaska Native women and women overall, and between American Indian and Alaska Native men and men overall, were not statistically significant. These statistics include only the American Indian and Alaska Native alone population 15 to 54 years.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table B12007C
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B12007C

Housing

54%
The percentage of American Indian and Alaska Native alone householders who owned their own home in 2011. This is compared with 65 percent of the overall population.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~006

Languages
27%
Percentage of American Indians and Alaska Natives alone 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home, compared with 20.8 percent for the nation as a whole.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~006

68%
Percentage of residents of the Navajo Nation Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Ariz.-N.M.-Utah, age 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home.
Source: 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0601
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0601
http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0601/2500000US2430

To see the full version of Profile America Facts for Features: American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2012, click here.

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail: [email protected].

Contact: Public Information Office
301-763-3030

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau