Indicator 1.3: American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes - Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives

Indicator 1.3: American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes

Figure 1.3. Ten largest American Indian tribes according to number of self-identified members, by tribe: 2000

¹ Latin American Indian refers to respondents listing any one of a number of Latin American tribes (e.g., the Maya or Yanomamo).
² Iroquois is a language group which includes 6 federally recognized tribes in its confederacy.
NOTE: "Alone" refers to respondents who selected American Indian/Alaska Native and not any other race category. "In combination with one or more other races" refers to respondents who selected American Indian/Alaska Native and one or more other race categories. Includes American Indians/Alaska Natives of Hispanic origin. Tribal groupings compiled by the Census Bureau do not necessarily correspond with federally recognized tribes. Self-identified membership does not necessarily correspond with official membership in a federally recognized tribe.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Census 2000 Brief: The American Indian and Alaska Native Population, 2000, 2002.

There are more than 560 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

In 2003, the federal government recognized 562 American Indian/Alaska Native tribes (U.S. Department of the Interior 2004a). These federally recognized entities are eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Furthermore, these tribes have "domestic dependent nation status," defined as the power of self-government, including the powers to form governments, make and enforce laws, tax, establish membership, license and regulate activities, zone, and exclude people from tribal territories (U.S. Department of the Interior 1999). As such, they maintain diplomatic relations with the federal government (U.S. Department of the Interior 2000).

In 2000, the largest American Indian tribes were Cherokee and Navajo, with 729,500 and 298,200 individuals reporting affiliation (including those of Hispanic origin), respectively. Eskimo was the largest Alaska Native tribe, with a reported affiliation of 54,800 (including those of Hispanic origin).

In 2004, there were 36 state-recognized tribes in 14 states (500 Nations 2004).

View Table 1.3