Bismarck is partnering with local nonprofits to get residents in underserved communities counted in the 2020 census, particularly the homeless, Native Americans and children under 5 years old.
View an excerpt of the article, here, that touches on our involvement.
North Dakota missed out on $17.5 million in federal funds from undercounting Native Americans living on reservations in the 2010 census, according to a presentation from the North Dakota Census 2020 Complete Count Task Force.
The city has partnered with the Native American Development Center to ensure the population living in Bismarck isn't undercounted this time.
The center informed Native Americans in February on how they can apply to become an enumerator, workers who go door to door to follow up with people who do not submit an online or paper census form. About 20 people turned up to the event, said Lorraine Davis, the center's president and chief executive officer. The cultural center also will decorate its transportation services with a vehicle wrap encouraging community members to participate in the 2020 census, Davis said. The center also plans to host a traditional Native American community meal that will include a workshop to encourage Native Americans to participate in the census. The event will take place March 27 at the cultural center. “This would be more about what it means to sign up and take the U.S. census survey, and try to solicit that interest for folks to feel safe to take the survey,” Davis said. “That’s just part of our culture, to do a lot more with community feeds. And so by doing that, it’s a way to get folks to come together in that harmonious way, but then also for us to share while they’re eating about the survey, what it does and what it means if you take it.”
View the Bismarck Tribune's full story on this here:
