Modern social statistics of Native Americans serve as defining characteristics of Native American life, and can be compared to the average United States citizens’ social statistics. Areas from their demographics and economy to health standards, drug and alcohol use, and land use and ownership all lead to a better understanding of Native American life. Health standards for Native Americans have notable disparities from that of all United States racial and ethnic groups. They have higher rates of disease, higher death rates, and a lack of medical coverage.
These health issues are matched by illegal drug abuse; abuse levels are higher than any other demographic group in the United States. Methamphetamine abuse on reservations was a particular area of concern for tribal and federal governments in the 2000s. *SITE CLOSED*see justice.gov's archive
General demographics Native American population demographics are studied by the federal government in conjunction with the Native Alaskan population. According to 2008 US Census projections, those who are Native American and Alaska Natives alone number 3.08 million of the total US population of 304 million, or 1.01 percent of the nation's entire population. Those who are Native American alone or in combination with other races measure as 4.86 million individuals, or 1.60 percent of the nation's entire population. The Native population continues to grow yearly. The Census Bureau projects that American Indian and Alaska Natives will reach 5 million individuals by 2065.
At the present time there are 574 federally recognized tribes. The population of Native Americans however extends beyond those with this federal recognition. Certain tribes have much larger population bases than others. The United States Census has documented 1.93 million individuals that are American Indian or Alaskan Native alone (not in combination with other races) with specified tribes. The tribe with the largest population base, for 2008, was the tribe of Navajo people with 307,555 individuals. The Cherokee tribe had the second largest population, with 262,224 individuals. Follow in third and fourth are the Sioux tribe and Chippewa tribe with 114,047 individuals and 107,322 individuals, respectively. By 2020, Aztecs were the largest ethnic group in the Native American category, numbering 378,122 individuals. The remainder of the Native American tribes have populations below one hundred thousand. This does not account for those who do not have specified tribes or are of multiple races.
The distribution of age of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives differs from the general population of the United States, according to 2008 Census data. Of those who are strictly Native American or Alaskan Native, 28.3% are below the age of 18. 64.3% are between 18 and 64 years of age, while the remaining 7.4% are 65 years of age and older. This is a notably younger population than the overall population. The median age of Native Americans and Alaskan Native is 31.2, while the male median age is 30.0 and female median age is 32.8.
Native Americans and Alaskan Natives also differ in their household composition. Of the 795,764 documented households 68.5% are family households with the remaining 31.5% non family households. The 545,403 family households are divided between married-couple families, male-headed households, and female-headed households. Over half, 58.9% specifically, are married-couple families. Male-headed households are 10.8% of family households, while female-headed households are 30.3% of family households. Alternatively, non family households are constituted of those living alone and householders living with non family. Of the 250,361 non family households, 80.0% are living alone and 20.0% are non family not living alone.
Economy and social status
The United States is home to 3.1 million Native Americans. In comparison to the rest of the population, this number is a very small amount (only .9%). American Indians have historically lived in extreme poverty. With the rise of Indian gaming enterprises, the problem of poverty may have been variously addressed in select areas. Yet, while Native Americans have begun to take more control of their tribal economies, poverty on Indian Reservations is still a major issue. The U.S. Census in both 1990 and 2000 indicates that poverty has prevailed on reservations; to this day, Native Americans have the highest poverty and unemployment rates in the United States. The poverty rate of Native Americans is 25%.
Incomes of Native Americans tend to be low, and unemployment rates are usually high. For example, the unemployment rate on the Blackfoot Reservation in Montana has been 69%. This is in comparison to the American national unemployment rate of 6.7% , or even during the worst part of the Great Depression at 25%. According to the 2000 Census, Indians living in Indian country have incomes that are less than half of the general U.S. population.Duthu, N. Bruce. American Indians and the Law. New York: Penguin Group, 2008. Print. Page 118. The U.S. Census reports that the median income of households based on a three-year average from 2003-2005 was $33,627.
In 1989, the median income of Native American households was $19,900. Average income varies by tribe and can range from $29,211 in the Osage tribe, to a mere $11,402 in the Tohono O’odham tribe. Over 20% of Native American reservation households make less than $5,000 annually while only 6% of the overall US population has an annual income of less than $5,000. The average Native American family (3.41) is larger than the American national average, yet only 30% have health insurance. The quality of life for many Native Americans are often comparable to that of developing nations.
However, Indian tribes are becoming more economically independent in recent years. The impact of Native American gaming has been monumental, but non-gaming tribes have growing economies as well. For example, the Mississippi Choctaw Indians have incorporated industry into their economy. Automobile subassembly and plastic manufacturing are only two of the sectors in which the tribe is involved. Factories seem to contradict Indian culture, but ironically, industry helps culture thrive. By embracing industry, the Choctaw have been able to build a stable enough economy to prevent people from leaving the reservation and encourage people to come back, according to Chief Phillip Martin. Life on the tribe is more appealing because it is more secure. Jobs are readily available, and the tribe has revitalized public health, housing, and education.Harvard. The State of the Native Nations. New York: Oxford UP, 2008. Print. Past federal policies have continually been detrimental to tribal economies,Duthu, N. Bruce. American Indians and the Law. New York: Penguin Group, 2008. Print. but self-determination has provided tribes with the independence and sovereignty to combat a history of poverty.
According to the US Census, real per capita income has grown substantially in past decades. In 1970, the average real per capita income among Reservation Indians was $4,347. This figure grew to $6,510 in 1980, dipped to $5,959 in 1990, and grew again to $7,942 in 2000. However, the overall statistic for the United States has also steadily grown over this span of time. The total US real per capita was $13,188 in 1970 and $21,587. While economy on Reservations has improved, it is still significantly lower than that of the United States.
The tribe with the lowest per capita income on a non-gaming Reservation is the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota with $4,043, but it also has a very low population of 1,846. The tribe with the highest per capita income on a non-gaming Reservation is the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in New York. With a population of 2,581 , it averages $12,016 per year. The least successful gaming Reservation has a lower per capita income than the Crow Creek Reservation: The Texas Kickapoo Reservation, population of 423, has an average of $3,398. The most successful gaming tribe is the Viejas Reservation in California; its population is 232 and averages $28,128 per capita income. Therefore, population is insignificant when determining economic success. A better measure is geographic location.
Further breakdown of poverty rates show that Native Americans are consistently the highest among each race. Reservation Indians have a 39% poverty rate; Non-Reservations, 26%; Black, 25%, Hispanic/Latino of all races, 23%, Pacific Islander, 18%, Asian, 13%; and White, 9%.
Location and lands
The Native American population is not evenly spread across the nation. The greatest proportion live in the western regions of the United States, specifically 43%. The remainder live in the south, 31%, the midwest, 17%, and the northeast, 9%. This statistic demonstrates how the Native American population is concentrated into few general areas. This is further proven by the fact that over half of Native Americans live within ten states. In 2000, the states with the largest Native American populations were California, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. Twenty-one states have Native American populations which constitute less than 1% over their overall population, including states such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and West Virginia.
Native Americans live in every different location, from reservations and rural areas to major urban centers. Reservations administered by the United States constitute about of land. This is broken into about 326 areas, ranging greatly in size from millions of acres to slightly over . In addition to these federal reservations, there are allotted lands, lands under restricted status, and state Indian reservations.
The land-owning segment of the Native American population continues to increase, which in the later 1900s nearly doubled each decade.Olson, James Stuart. Native Americans in the twentieth century. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young UP, 1984. Print. Private property owners include those who live in cities or urban centers. The two specific places with the largest Native American populations are the Los Angeles-Long Beach area, followed by New York City; each are home to over 50,000 Native Americans. Other large concentrations of urban Native Americans include Phoenix, Arizona and Anchorage, Alaska.Waldman, Carl. Atlas of the North American Indian. 3rd ed. New York: Checkmark Books, 2009. Print.
Health standards
Native Americans require medical care and have health concerns similar to many other United States demographics. From all ages of American Indians or Alaska Natives, approximately 12% were found to be in fair or poor health in 2005. There are known health disparities between the Native American population and the rest of the United States. Reasons for these health disparities include "cultural barriers, geographic isolation, inadequate sewage disposal, and economic factors."The Health Care Challenge: Acknowledging Disparity, Confronting Discrimination, and Ensuring Equality. United States Commission on Civil Rights, Sept. 1999. However, there are many indicators that the health status of Native Americans has greatly improved in the previous decades.