Be Counted!
The 2020 United States Census will be conducted soon. Chief Gary Batton would like it to be a success for all of the Choctaw Nation. The results will lock in government aid levels to cities, counties and our tribal government for the next ten years. Let’s make this a success!
“For the past ten years, due to a large undercount of our regional population in the 2010 Census, we've all been living with decreased amounts of money available for schools, highways, public safety, health care and other important issues. The undercount occurred because many of the residents of our respective jurisdictions did not respond to the U.S. Census. Our artificially low population count, in turn, has led to smaller federal and state grants being made available to us to accomplish important things in our jurisdictions. We need to do everything possible to plan and organize in advance of the 2020 Census, to prevent a repeat occurrence." – Chief Gary Batton
What is the Choctaw Nation doing? And why are we doing it? Find out here!
Our Plan for 2020
Our Big Picture: This PowerPoint presentation describes our interest in achieving a fully successful 2020 U.S. Census. Be sure and read the notes fields for each slide. The presentation details the problem we have identified which stems from the 2010 U.S. Census, and our efforts to ensure it does not repeat itself in 2020.
Our Situation, Short and Simple: Choctaw tribal members should fill out the 2020 U.S. Census, and do so in a specific way to ensure they are counted as Choctaw Nation tribal members. This brief, two-slide presentation shows how.
Choctaw Nation Marketing Strategy: A sophisticated marketing and communication plan will enable the Choctaw Nation to reach all of its tribal members with the message to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census and inform them how to do it. The Nation will be using billboards, radio and television ads, newspaper ads, paid social media boosts, and a direct mail campaign.
Operations Map: Each dot represents the home of one Choctaw tribal member, and often more, if others live nearby. Those in green live within a 25-minute drive of a major Choctaw Nation facility, such as a community center or travel plaza. Those in red do not. The map will help the Choctaw Nation plan activities or outreach efforts before and during the 2020 U.S. Census.
Our Concerns About 2020
Chief's Letter to Census Director: Choctaw Chief Gary Batton approached the Director of the United States Census in 2019 to negotiate the preferred approach to be used by Choctaw Nation tribal members in filling out the 2020 U.S. Census. Chief Batton's proactive stance was successful, and will go far to ensuring a more accurate count is conducted in 2020, replacing the badly distorted count of 2010.
Chief's Letter to Local Officials: This letter by Choctaw Chief Gary Batton to local leaders across southeastern Oklahoma details his concerns about the 2020 U.S. Census and why he believes an accurate count will be vital. Chief Batton has led efforts across our region of the state to organize for the Census.
Five Tribes Resolution: Leaders of the Five Tribes in Oklahoma adopted this resolution during a recent Inter-Tribal Council, calling for a concerted, comprehensive effort by their respective nations to prepare for the 2020 U.S. Census.
2010 Census Results
The Choctaw Nation has worked with the U.S. Census Bureau to obtain county-specific data for the 10.5 counties comprising the Choctaw Nation. Each map depicts the official Census tracts in each county, with the 2010 response rates in each tract, and county-wide, shown.
The Choctaws’ History with the Census
The census has always been important to the Choctaw Nation, both in early times and now. This legislation by the General Council of the Choctaw Nation, passed into law in 1884, clarified and codified specific procedures for carrying out its national censuses. These were conducted on a county-by-county basis by the county sheriffs, and the results were archived at the Capitol in Tvshka Homma.
Following Oklahoma's statehood most Choctaw government records were removed from Tvshka Homma by the federal Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes. They are now on file in the Indian Archives Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. An inventory of them is available. Microfilm copies are available in the Choctaw Nation tribal headquarters.
Additional Reading
- Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
- National Congress of American Indians
- National Indian Council on Aging
- Native American Rights Fund
- U.S. Census Bureau
For more information contact Melissa Landers at mlanders@choctawnation.com
This census was conducted by Choctaw officials in Wade County, Choctaw Nation, during the 1850s. The county, which no longer exists, included present-day Clayton, Tvshka Homma and Talihina. Farm life was important, and the Choctaw government recorded each family’s respective livestock brand—distinctive notches made in each animal's ears.