Indigenous Town Hall streamed live on Facebook April 9
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – April 9, 2020 – Looking ensure an accurate count of Native Americans in New Mexico and help answer questions about the U.S. Census, the New Mexico Native Census Coalition will host an online Town Hall at 11 a.m. on April 9.
“So many of our communities rely on Census data from everything to education to health care to housing. It is important for not only Indigenous people to complete the Census but complete it in a way that it gets recorded accurately,” NAVA Education Project Executive Director Ahtza Dawn Chavez said.
The NAVA Education Project is an Albuquerque-based nonprofit working to inform, activate and empower the Indigenous electorate in New Mexico, and is the parent organization of the Census Coalition.
The count of Native people becomes more important as New Mexico has been labeled the most undercounted state in America. A 1% undercount of the state’s population this decade would result in a $780 million loss of federal funds during a 10-year period. Native people in New Mexico make up about 11% of the state’s population.
While some tribal communities have not received a Census questionnaire with an official Census ID number, the Native Census Coalition recommends to tribal communities and Urban Indians who have received a packet or a Census ID number to either go online at my2020census.gov or by phone at 844-330-2020 to complete the Census.
Kewa Pueblo cartoonist and comedian Ricardo Cate will host the live event, which will include Pueblo of Acoma Governor Brian Vallo and Charlotte Little, Native Census Pueblo Coordinator. Guests also include members of the Albuquerque Urban Native Complete Count Committee, which is made up of Albuquerque Native nonprofits, city representatives and agencies that serve Native Americans. Albuquerque is listed sixth among the cities in the nation with a high Urban Indian population. It is estimated that more than 400 tribes are represented here.
Information about how to correctly record your tribal affiliation as well as the importance of the Census will be discussed.
The Census Coalition will stream the Town Hall live on its Facebook page where viewers can submit questions to presenters.
For more information about the New Mexico Native Census Coalition, go to nmnativecensus.org. For more information about NAVA Education Project, go to www.navaeducationproject.org.
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About the NAVA Education Project
The NAVA Education Project (NAVAEP) is an Albuquerque-based nonprofit working to inform, activate and empower the Indigenous electorate in New Mexico. NAVAEP has had a long history of mobilizing Native Americans through integrated grassroots voter engagement strategies, including voter registration, issue education, phone banking and general outreach to Native people. NAVAEP also has vast experience in campaign work in Navajo, Pueblo and Urban Indian communities.
The All Pueblo Council of Governors, made up the state’s 19 Pueblos, asked the NAVAEP to create the Native Census Coalition in preparation of the 2020 count as far less federal funding for outreach and education were available compared with 2010 allocations, despite the 2020 Census being available online. Many tribes also lack access or adequate access to internet services in New Mexico.