November marks American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month

(Many Blacks living in the U.S. have mixed African and Indian ancestry, as did this reporter's grandfather, Joseph Morris.)

The U.S. Census has put out these facts to mark the celebration of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month:

The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.”

As of the 2010 Census, the nation’s population of American Indians and Alaska Natives made up 1.7 percent of the total population. Their population is projected to reach 2 percent of the total population by 2050. The population of this group increased by 26.7 percent during this period compared with the overall population growth of 9.7 percent.

States with more than 100,000 American Indian and Alaska Native residents include California, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, New York, New Mexico, Washington, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota and Illinois.

There were 334 federal and state recognized American Indian reservations in 2010, excluding the Hawaiian Homelands. There are 565 federally-recognized Indian tribes including the Cherokee (819,105), Navajo (332,129), Choctaw (195,764), Mexican American Indian (175,494), Chippewa (170,742), Sioux (170,110), Apache (111,810), and Blackfeet (105,304). Fifty seven percent were married-couple families, including those with children.

(Cherokee boy and girl in costume on reservation in North Carolina. Photographed by John K. Hillers, Jr., June 1939. Public Domain.)

The percentage of American Indians and Alaska Natives 25 and older who had at least a high school diploma, GED or alternative credential is 77%. Also, 13 percent obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher. In comparison, the overall population had 86 percent with a high school diploma and 28 percent with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Receipts for American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses in 2007 was $34.4 billion, a 28.0 percent increase from 2002. These businesses numbered 236,967, up 17.7 percent from 2002.

The median income of American Indian and Alaska Native households is $35,062. This compares with $50,046 for the nation as a whole. The percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives that were in poverty in 2010 was 28.4%. For the nation as a whole, the corresponding rate was 15.3 percent.

The percentage of American Indians and Alaska Natives who lacked health insurance coverage was 29.2%. For the nation as a whole, the corresponding percentage was 15.5 percent.