The Bureau of Indian Affairs is hoping to improve its annual American Indian Population and Labor Force Reports.

The Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 (PL 102-477) requires the BIA to publish reports on the Indian population by gender, income level, age, and availability for work. The latest report covers the year 2005.

Tribes submit data to the BIA for inclusion in the report. But the agency doesn't verify the information and there is no way to determine the accuracy of the information.

Only 73 percent of tribes submitted new data for the latest report. "Many of the tribes that did not provide updated population and labor force information identified the lack of staffing and other resources as the primary reason for not responding," the BIA said.

The BIA is taking comments until November 17 on ways to improve the information collection.

Get the Story:
Little change in poverty, employment in CA tribes since gaming started (The Capitol Weekly 10/2)

Federal Register Notice:
American Indian Population and Labor Force Report (September 16, 2008)