Tribal geographies in the 2010 Census AMERICAN INDIAN HOME LANDS (all of the geographies that follow are types of Indian “Home Lands”) These consist of federally recognized American Indian Reservations (AIR) and State American Indian Reservations (State AIR), Off-Reservation Trust Lands (ORTL), Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas (OTSA), and the Tribal Subdivisions that can divide these geographic areas. It also includes Tribal Designated Statistical Areas (TDSA) and State Designated Tribal Statistical Areas (STDSA). No American Indian Home Land can overlap another tribal entity except for tribal subdivisions. Where more than one tribe claims jurisdiction over an area the Census Bureau creates a “joint use area” as a separate geography to define this area of dual claims.

American Indian Reservation (AIR) and State AIR AIRs are areas that have been set aside by the U.S. government for the use of tribes. The boundaries of these areas are defined in historic tribal treaties, agreements, Presidential executive orders, federal statutes, federal agency orders, or court determinations. Tribes have primary governmental authority over these areas. Federal reservations may cross state, county, county subdivision, and place boundaries. Where more than one tribe claims jurisdiction over an area the Census Bureau creates a “joint use area” as a separate geography to define this area of dual claims. AIR land status doesn’t have to correspond to ownership or occupancy of the land by Indians; land doesn’t have to be held in trust before it can be declared an AIR; and lands may lose their trust status but still remain AIRs. The Census Bureau asks tribes if the boundaries of AIRs need to modified once a year via their “Annexation and Boundary Survey”. Reservations that are created by state governments are known as State AIRs. These reservations are created for tribes that are not federally recognized but are recognized by their states through state law. The legal boundaries of a State AIR is within that state, but the Census Bureau collects data for those reservations. 1

KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: AIRs are determined by treaties and other historical legal acts. State AIRs are determined by state legislatures for tribes that are not federally recognized. REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: 1970 REPORTED IN: Summary Files 1, 2

American Indian Off-Reservation Trust Land (ORTL) Trust lands are areas for which the U.S. government holds the land title in trust for the benefit of a tribe (“Tribal trust land”) or for an individual Indian (“Individual trust land” aka “Allotments”). The actual ownership of land by tribes or individuals is required to be an ORTL. These trust lands are located off reservations, but must be associated with a federally recognized tribe and a recognized American Indian Reservation. Trust lands may be located in more than one state. The legal boundaries of an ORTL exist only for the surface rights of the land, not its mineral rights. The Census Bureau doesn’t recognize ORTLs in either Alaska or Oklahoma. KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: connected with reservations REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: “tribal trust lands” have been reported since 1980; “individual trust lands” have been reported since 1990. REPORTED IN: Summary Files 1, 2

Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area (OTSA) Oklahoma Tribal Statisical Areas (OTSA) are established by the Census Bureau for federally-recognized American Indian tribes in Oklahoma that had reservations in the state through 1907, but these reservations are no longer recognized as existing by the federal government. They approximate the area of the former reservations, except where modified by agreements with neighboring tribes. In the 1990 Census OTSAs were called “Tribal Jurisdictional Statistical Areas”. Tribes can designate tribal subdivisions with their OTSA. KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: these exist only in Oklahoma REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: 1980 REPORTED IN: American Indian and Alaska Native Summary File 2

Tribal Subdivision These are units of self-government or self-administration within an AIR, ORTL, or OTSA that provide governmental services for that area which serve a tribe’s social, cultural, or economic purposes. KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: more closely connected with reservations and/or tribal governments than “Off reservation trust lands” REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: 1980, but not reported in 1990 Census REPORTED IN: Summary Files 1, 2

Tribal Census Tract Tribal Census Tracts are subdivisions of a federally recognized reservation and/or off-reservation trust land that correspond to population and/or housing density. They can spread over more than one county or state. They must meet the following requirements for either population size and/or housing unit count to become a Tribal Census Tract. (A) For the population requirement, they must contain a minimum of 1,200 people and no more than 8,000 people, with a preferred size of 4,000 people. These people do not have to be tribal members. (B) For the housing requirement, they must contain a minimum of 480 housing units and no more than 3,200 housing units, with a preferred size of 1,600 housing units. These housing units do not have to be occupied only by tribal members. When a reservation or offreservation trust land crosses county or state lines the same Tribal Census Tract number may be assigned on both sides of the county or state boundary to that tract. KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: Tribal Census Tracts correspond to traditional Indian tribal geography, except where modified by agreements with neighboring tribes, and may not correspond to general Census Tracts. REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: 2000 REPORTED IN: Summary Files 1, 2

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Tribal Block Group A Tribal Block Group is a group of several adjacent subdivisions of a Tribal Census Tract that are within that Tribal Census Tract. They exist in both AIRs and ORTLs. They can be spread over more than one county or state. When a Tribal Block Group crosses county or state lines the same Tribal Block Group number may be assigned on both sides of the county or state boundary. They must meet the following requirements for either population size and/or housing unit count to become a Tribal Block Group. (A) For the population requirement, they must contain a minimum of 600 people and no more than 3,000 people (the Census Bureau has no “preferred” population size for Tribal Block Groups). These people do not have to be tribal members. (B) For the housing requirement, they must contain a minimum of 240 housing units and no more than 1,200 housing units (the Census Bureau has no “preferred” housing size for Tribal Block Groups). These housing units do not have to be occupied by only tribal members. When a reservation or off-reservation trust land crosses county or state lines the same Tribal Census Tract number may be assigned on both sides of the county or state boundary to that tract. KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: Tribal Block Groups correspond to Indian tribal geography, and may not correspond to general Census Block Groups. REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: 2000 REPORTED IN: Summary Files 1, 2

Tribal Designated Statistical Area (TDSA) and State Designated Tribal Statistical Area (STDSA) TDSAs are statistical areas for federally recognized American Indian tribes that do not have reservation or off-reservation trust land that is recognized by the federal government. The area contains a concentration of people who identify with a tribe and in which there is organized tribal activity for social, cultural, or economic purposes. A TDSA may not be located in more than one state unless both states recognize the tribe, and may not be located in any existing tribal geography. STDSAs are statistical areas created for tribes that are not federally recognized but 4

are recognized by their states through state law. The legal boundaries of an STDSA are within that state, but the Census Bureau collects data for those areas. TDSAs and SDTSAs are not recognized in Alaska, Hawaii, and Oklahoma. KEY CONCEPT TO REMEMBER: these are unofficial geographies established for the purpose of statistical reporting. REPORTED IN THE CENSUS SINCE: 1990 REPORTED IN: Summary Files 1, 2 but is identified as a “statistical entity” in the phrase “reservation or statistical entity only”.

Steve Beleu, Oklahoma Department of Libraries/Oklahoma State Data Center Coordinating Agency, July 14, 2010. For questions or comments send e-mail to [email protected]

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