Census cites dip in Indian population on Martha's Vineyard

Friday, May 20, 2011  

The American Indian population on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts fell 28.5 percent over the last decade, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but there's reason to believe a significant undercount occurred.

American Indians and Alaska Natives make up 1.1 percent of the island's population, according to the 2010 Census. Most live in the town of Aquinnah, where more than 25 percent are Native American.

But the town clerk said the Census numbers are off by as much as 30 percent. The town shows 451 residents, including 398 registered voters who just participated in an election that put the former chairwoman of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe on the board of selectmen.

The Census, however, put the town's population at just 311. The undercount affects federal funding, congressional districting and other issues.

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More Islanders, A Little Older, More Diverse (The Martha's Vineyard Gazette 5/20)