Native American Heritage Month: Data & Statistics
Census Data for
Census Data For American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Areas
The Census occurs every 10 years, in years ending in zero, to count the population and housing units for the entire United States. Its primary purpose is to provide the population counts that determine how seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned.
Data about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is available for the U.S., 50 states, and the District of Columbia, counties, and subcounty statistical areas (such as zip codes and block groups) from 1990 to the present.
This fact sheet compiled for Native American Heritage Month includes some population statistics for each of these groups. The page also includes links to Population Profiles with more detailed information.
Timelines
- American Indian History TimelineFrom the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. This timeline begins at the Colonial Period and ends with all Indian reservation lands in Indian control and ownership.
- History Through a Native LensTimeline from Investing in Native Communities, written by Dr. Karina Walters, containing historically traumatic events, settler colonial policies, and Native resistance movements.
- Timeline of Native American CulturesFrom the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this timeline shows the Indigenous peoples who lived in Ohio from 13,000 years ago to 400 years ago.
Infographics & Statistics
25 Largest Tribes Among American Indians (2010 Census)
- Cherokee - 819,105
- Navajo - 332,129
- Choctaw - 195,764
- Mexican American Indian - 175,494
- Chippewa - 170,742
- Sioux - 170,110
- Apache - 111,810
- Blackfeet - 105,304
- Creek - 88,332
- Iroquois - 81,002
- Lumbee - 73,691
- Pueblo - 62,540
- Chickasaw - 52,278
- South American Indian - 47,233
- Yup'ik - 33,889
- Potawatomi - 33,771
- Inupiat - 33,360
- Yaqui - 32,595
- Seminole - 31,971
- Central American Indian - 27,844
- Pima - 26,655
- Tlingit-Haida - 26,080
- Tohono O'dham - 23,478
- Comanche - 23,330
- Alaskan Athabascan - 22,484
Native American Facts
- American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) refers to people who belong to the Indigenous tribes of the continental United States (AI) and the Indigenous tribes and villages of Alaska (AN).
- There 574 are nations sovereign tribal nations.
- The 574 tribal nations are variously called: tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities, and Native villages. They each have a formal relationship with the US government.
- These nations are located across 24 states and within the geographic borders of the United States. However, each tribal nation exercises its own sovereignty and their governments are legally defined as a federally recognized tribal nation.
- There were 334 American Indian Reservations as of 2010.
- Native peoples and governments have inherent rights and a political relationship with the US government that does not derive from race or ethnicity.
- Tribal members are citizens of three sovereigns: their tribe, the United States, and the state in which they reside.
- They are also individuals in an international context with the rights afforded in an international context afforded to any other individual.
- There are 63 state-recognized tribes.
- The 63 tribes are in 11 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia.
- State-recognized tribes are recognized by their respective state governments.
- State recognition acknowledges the historical and cultural contributions of various tribes.
Ten Largest Native American Languages by Number of Speakers Age 5 & Older in the United States
- Navajo - 166,826
- Yupik - 19,750
- Dakota - 17,855
- Apache - 13,445
- Keres - 13,190
- Cherokee - 11,465
- Ojibwa - 9,735
- Choctaw - 9,635
- Zuni - 9,615
- Pima - 6,990
