The American Indian, Eskimo, z and Aleut Population EDNA L. PAISANO The American Indian, people on reservations, on in 1980. Between 1980 and Eskimo, and Aleut trust lands, and in Alaska 1990, California dropped from population has grown Native villages; continued use first to second place, and rapidly since 1970. of self-identification to obtain Arizona and New Mexico In the last two decades, the information on race; a greater stayed at third and fourth American Indian, Eskimo, and propensity in 1990 than in ear- place, respectively. Aleut population grew rapidly. lier censuses for individuals In 1970, this population num- (especially those of mixed In- The American Indian bered 827,000; it reached dian and non-Indian parent- population is young. 1.4 million in 1980 and nearly age) to report themselves as American Indian; and im- Thirty-nine percent of the 2 million in 1990. The 1990 American Indian population census counted 1,878,285 proved outreach programs and promotion campaigns. was under 20 years old in American Indians, 57,152 1990, compared with 29 per- Eskimos, and 23,797 Aleuts. cent of the Nation’s total popu- Nearly one-half of the Census Bureau estimates and lation. The median age in American Indian population projections suggest that on 1990 of the American Indian July 1, 1994, the American In- lives west of the Mississippi River. population was 26 years, con- dian, Eskimo, and Aleut popu- siderably younger than the lation numbered 2.2 million, Nearly one-half of the Ameri- U.S. median age of 33 years. and that it will reach 4.3 million can Indian population lived in The comparable median ages and just over 1 percent of the the West in 1990, 29 percent in 1980 were 23 years and population by 2050. in the South, 17 percent in the 30 years, respectively. The The 72 percent increase Midwest, and 6 percent in the American Indian population between the 1970 and 1980 Northeast. Between 1980 and is younger in part because censuses and the 38 percent 1990, the proportion of Ameri- of higher fertility rates than increase between the 1980 can Indians increased notice- the total population. and 1990 censuses cannot be ably only in the South, from 26 attributed only to natural to 29 percent. In 1990, four Nearly two-thirds of increase. Other factors that States had an American In- American Indian families are may have contributed to the dian population over 100,000 married-coupled families. higher count of American In- — Oklahoma, California, Ari- dians1 include improvements zona, and New Mexico. The About 6 in 10 of the Nation’s in the question on race; population in these four States 442,000 American Indian improvements in the way comprised 42 percent of the families were married-couple the Census Bureau counted total U.S. American Indian families in 1990, compared population. Oklahoma was with about 8 in 10 of the the State with the largest Nation’s 64.5 million families. 1In the text, American Indian The proportion of American represents American Indians, American Indian population in Eskimos, and Aleuts. 1990, climbing from second Indian husband and wife

Ten States With the Largest Number of American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts: 1990 (In thousands)

Oklahoma 252 California 242 Arizona 204 New Mexico 134 Alaska 86 Washington 81 North Carolina 80 Texas 66 New York 63

Michigan 56

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families was 71 percent in of the $17,414 median for all about 13 percent in 1989 and trust lands were high school 1980, compared with 82 per- families maintained by women 12 percent in 1979. graduates or more. Among cent of all husband and wife with no husband present. the 10 largest reservations families. Consistent with the The number of and trust lands, this proportion national trend, the proportion More American Indian American Indians living on ranged considerably. Black- of American Indian families families and persons were reservations and trust lands feet (66 percent) and Hopi maintained by a female in poverty, compared with varied considerably. (63 percent) had similar householder with no husband all families and persons. Of the 314 reservations and proportions of high school present increased during the Between 1979 and 1989, trust lands identified for the graduates. Gila River, at last decade and reached 27 the poverty rate increased for 1990 census, only the Navajo about 37 percent, had the percent in 1990. This propor- both American Indian families Reservation and Trust Lands lowest proportion who had tion was considerably larger and persons.2 Twenty-seven located in Arizona, New Mexi- at least graduated from high than the national figure of percent of American Indian co, and Utah had more than school, followed by Navajo 17 percent. families were poor in 1989, 100,000 American Indians — with 41 percent. compared with 24 percent in 143,405 lived there. The educational attainment American Indians on 1979. This compared with a An additional nine reservations levels of American Indians poverty rate of 10 percent for reservations and trust lands has improved significantly. had more than 7,000 Ameri- had low per capita incomes. all families in both 1989 and can Indians in 1990: Pine In 1990, 66 percent of the 1979. In 1989, 50 percent Ridge, NE-SD (11,182); Fort The per capita income in 1989 1,080,000 American Indians of American Indian families Apache, AZ (9,825); Gila Riv- was about $4,478 for Ameri- 25 years old and over were maintained by females with er, AZ (9,116); Papago, AZ can Indians residing on all high school graduates or high- no husband present were (8,480); Rosebud, SD (8,043); reservations and trust lands, er, compared with only 56 per- poor, compared with 31 per- San Carlos, AZ (7,110); Zuni compared with $8,328 for all cent in 1980. Despite the cent of all families maintained Pueblo, AZ-NM (7,073); Hopi, American Indians. The per advances, the 1990 proportion by women with no husband AZ (7,061); and Blackfeet, MT capita income of American In- was still below that for the total present. (7,025). The 218,320 Ameri- dians on the 10 largest reser- population (75 percent). The 1980 and 1990 censuses can Indians living on these vations ranged from about American Indians were also show that the poverty rate 10 reservations and trust $3,100 on the Papago and less likely than the entire U.S. for American Indians has lands accounted for about half Pine Ridge Reservations to population to have completed remained considerably higher of all American Indians over $4,500 on the Blackfeet a bachelor’s degree or higher. than that of the total popula- living on reservations and ($4,718) and Hopi ($4,566) About 9 percent of American tion. In 1989, 31 percent of trust lands. Reservations. Indians completed a bache- American Indian persons lived NOTE: The most recent data lor’s degree or higher in 1990, below the poverty level, up Educational levels of for the American Indian popu- compared with 8 percent in from 27 percent in 1979. The American Indians differ lation are from the 1990 cen- 1980 — still lower than the 20 national poverty rate was among the reservations sus. The Current Population percent for the total population and trust lands. Survey is not sufficiently large in 1990. to provide reliable estimates 2In 1989, the poverty threshold Fifty-four percent of American for a family of four was $12,674; for this population. American Indian family Indians 25 years old and over unchanged from 1979 (in 1989 living on all reservations and incomes were low. dollars). For Further Information: The median family income Educational See: 1990 CP-2-1, 1990 in 1989 of all American Indian American Indian, Census of Population, Social Attainment: 1990 Eskimo, and Aleut families declined from its 1979 and Economic Characteristics, level (1989 dollars) by 5 per- (Percent of persons Total United States Summary. 1990 25 years old and over) population cent. In 1990, the median CP-2-1A, 1990 Census of family income of American Population, Social and Indians was $21,750, about Percent high school 65.5 Economic Characteristics, 62 percent of the $35,225 graduate American Indian and Alaska median for all families. The or higher 75.2 Native Areas. median income of American Indian married-couple families Percent Contact: Edna L. Paisano was $28,287 or 71 percent bachelor’s 9.3 Racial Statistics degree or Branch of the $39,584 median for all 20.3 married-couple families. The higher 301-457-2404 median income for American Percent 3.2 Indian families maintained by graduate or a female householder with professional no husband present was degree 7.2 $10,742, about 62 percent

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