Oglala Sioux Tribe Taking Steps to Ensure Accurate 2000 Census Story-Date: 02:33 p.m. PST Tuesday , August 25, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------ Oglala Sioux Tribe Taking Steps to Ensure Accurate 2000 Census By Karen L. Testerman, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Aug. 24--PINE RIDGE, S.D.--After a major undercount in the 1990 federal government's census, the Oglala Sioux Tribe is not pulling any punches in its Census 2000 campaign. In conjunction with the Regional Census office in Lakewood, Colo., the OST Census office began four major projects on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to ensure a more accurate count of the population. The four projects are: State and Federal Voters Registration Drive for the Pine Ridge Reservation; OST Tribal Census; Census 2000 and Up-Dating Tribal Election Voters List. The Regional Census office took a special interest in the Oglala Sioux Tribe after the 1990 Census undercount. OST Tribal member Bernadine Blue Bird was hired and trained over a year ago for this important endeavor as the OST Census liaison person for Census 2000. She said Census 2000 employees were hired through the regional office in Colorado. "There were 146 people tested. Of that, 26 are currently working on tribal and trust lands. They're called `listers,"' she said. The listers are working on updating address listings and maps. They'll also be identifying houses throughout the reservation. "This is one of the steps of preparation for the Census 2000," Ms. Blue Bird said. "They'll be adding any new roads, new communities, new homes." There are two crew leaders in Shannon County, Marilyn Eisenbraun of Wanblee and Peggy Yellow Hair-Tarrant of Wakpamni, who currently supervise 40 workers. Ms. Blue Bird said Census 2000 is vital to the tribe because the Census count determines funding appropriations to recognized tribes for the next ten years in programs such as housing, education, health care, JTPA, LIEAP, transportation and WIC, to name a few. Ms. Blue Bird said the 1990 Census done on the Pine Ridge Reservation counted the population at 11,385. "This number is inaccurate. Many housing developments were overlooked. People who weren't home weren't counted," she said. "Approximately 12 out of 100 were not counted on the 1990 Census." The next U.S. Government Census will be conducted April 1, 2000. Ms. Blue Bird said she has already updated the OST voters list, "I personally checked enrollment numbers and addresses of every person on the list ," she said. "It took a long time to update the voters list," she said. "Lists for each district was conducted through records in the OST Enrollment Office." Enrolled tribal members 18 years and older are encouraged to review their district's voting list from now until Sept. 15. "If you are not on the list, contact your district data clerk or office manager for instructions," Ms. Blue Bird said. She said the OST Tribal Census will be conducted by each district individually. There are 16 districts on the Pine Ridge Reservation. ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ (c) 1998, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------