"They suddenly may find themselves ranked No. 2 in tribal enrollment, but to us, the Navajo Nation and its people rank at the top of our list.

According to a recently released Census report, the Cherokee Nation has passed the Navajo Nation as the most populous Indian tribe in the United States.

The numbers show 302,569 people claiming Cherokee ancestry while 276,775 people are Navajo.

While it's always nice to be No. 1, we feel the sheer number of individual tribal members is not the best way to judge the top tribe."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Navajo Nation always No. 1 in our eyes (The Farmington Daily Times 2/20)

Census Bureau Report:
We the People: American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States (February 2006)

Relevant Links:
U.S. Census Bureau - http://www.census.gov

Related Stories:
Census Bureau report presents Natives (2/14)