Census undercount risks funding for Native American reservations
WASHINGTON — Native Americans on reservations face another decade of underfunding from federal programs because thousands were not counted in the 2020 census — a problem shared by minority communities across the country.
Tribal governments use those federal funds for basic needs on reservations, where poverty rates historically have been among the highest in the nation. The federal government distributes $1.5 trillion annually based on census results, which missed 5% of Native Americans this time.
