September 20, 2026
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is urging Tribal members, Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations to take action on proposed changes to the 2030 U.S. Census, warning that the proposed regulations could significantly change how American Indian and Alaska Native populations are represented in federal census data.
The Census Bureau published a Notice of Proposed Rule-making on September 10, 2026, addressing proposed regulations governing residence criteria and demographic questions for the 2030 Census.
NCAI is encouraging Tribal leaders and representatives to review the proposal and submit comments for the official record. The organization has also emphasized the importance of Tribal participation in the federal rule-making process.
Proposed removal of race and ethnicity questions.
One of the most significant provisions in the proposed rule would remove race and ethnicity questions from the decennial census questionnaire.
For Tribal Nations and Tribal citizens, the change could affect the demographic information available from the nation's once-every-10-years population count concerning American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Census data are important for understanding Tribal communities and are used in connection with federal funding, political representation, policy development and planning for programs and services affecting Indian Country.
The information circulated by NCAI specifically warns that eliminating these questions could have implications for data used in areas including housing, community development, maternal health and transportation.
The federal rule-making process provides an opportunity for individuals and organizations to submit written comments.
Tribal members do not have to be speaking on behalf of their Tribal government to submit their own comments about the proposed rule.
Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations can also submit formal comments.
Extended deadline for Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations.
The information distributed by NCAI identifies different deadlines for the public and for Tribal entities.
The general public comment deadline is October 13, 2026.
However, Tribal Nations and Tribal-serving organizations have until November 2, 2026, to submit comments.
NCAI is encouraging Tribal leaders and representatives to use the additional time to review the proposal, consult with their communities and submit comments for the official record.
Why the Census matters to Tribal communities.
The Census is more than the population count.
Census data help determine political representation and are used by governments and organizations for funding decisions, policy development and planning.
For Indian Country, reliable demographic information can provide an important source of data about the size and characteristics of American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
NCAI states that the proposed regulations may affect how American Indian and Alaska Native people and Tribal communities are counted and represented in federal data.
The proposed rule however does not mean that the federal government would stop collecting all race and ethnicity information. The Census Bureau operates other surveys and statistical programs that collect demographic information.
How to submit a comment.
Comments can be submitted electronically through Regulations.gov.
Commenters should search for:
Docket No. USBC-2026-0628
After locating the docket, commenters can select the “Comment” option and enter or attach their written comments.
Written comments may also be submitted by mail to:
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Designation: ADDEMO/FRN
Washington, DC 20746
Questions may be directed to Census Bureau Tribal Affairs Coordinator Dee Alexander at (301) 763-9335 or Dee.A.Alexander@census.gov.