Cited by 115Indigenous Cultures and HistoryIndigenous Peoples' Rights and LawIndigenous Health, Education, and Rights

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 21 of the 22 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 13 of the 100 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Data as a Strategic Resource: Self-determination, Governance, and the Data Challenge for Indigenous Nations in the United States

Open access
Rainie, Stephanie Carroll, Schultz, Jennifer Lee, Briggs, Eileen, Riggs, Patricia, Palmanteer-Holder, Nancy Lynn·2017·International Indigenous Policy Journal

Abstract

Data about Indigenous populations in the United States are inconsistent and irrelevant. Federal and state governments and researchers direct most collection, analysis, and use of data about U.S. Indigenous populations. Indigenous Peoples’ justified mistrust further complicates the collection and use of these data. Nonetheless, tribal leaders and communities depend on these data to inform decision making. Reliance on data that do not reflect tribal needs, priorities, and self-conceptions threatens tribal self-determination. Tribal data sovereignty through governance of data on Indigenous populations is long overdue. This article provides two case studies of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and their demographic and socioeconomic data initiatives to create locally and culturally relevant data for decision making.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The article argues that data about U.S. Indigenous populations are inconsistent, irrelevant, poor quality, mistrusted, and externally controlled, which threatens tribal self-determination. It uses two case studies—Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe—to show how community-engaged, nation-driven data collection and governance can produce trusted, relevant data for policy and resource allocation.

Key findings

  • The paper identifies five critical problems with Indigenous population data: they are often inconsistent, irrelevant, poor quality, collected/used in an environment of mistrust, and controlled by external actors. It cites 2010 Census counts of 5.2 million AIAN-heritage Americans (about 2% of the U.S. population) and 567 federally recognized tribal nations as of May 2016.
  • Ysleta del Sur Pueblo appended a socioeconomic survey to its annual enrollment update beginning in 2008; from 2008 to 2014 the survey had an average 90% response rate. The tribe used its data to successfully challenge HUD’s rejection of an Indian Community Development Block Grant application and win approval for the Tigua Technology Enterprise Center, and data supported an enrollment policy change from 1/8 blood quantum.
  • Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s Voices project conducted face-to-face surveys in 2012 and 2013 with 819 families in 547 structures (150 respondents consented to voice recording). It found 47% of residents unemployed, 42% of unemployed seeking work (about 2,000 adults), and 78% participating in traditional arts and crafts microenterprise, leading to a microloan program and a workforce survey with 428 participants.
  • Across both cases, community engagement, tribal control of methods/analysis/storage, and data use for internal and external decisions enhanced self-determination and governance; the authors argue data governance should begin with “What do we want to know?” rather than “What can we collect?”

Methods

  • Qualitative case study design, part of a larger research project on Indigenous health and tribal data sovereignty, examining two tribal data initiatives: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo’s demographic/socioeconomic data project and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s Tribal Ventures Voices Research Project.
  • Data sources included a review of relevant literatures, interviews and follow-up communications with Ysleta del Sur and Cheyenne River co-researchers, additional conversations with project participants, and analysis of documents/reports produced by both tribal data projects.
  • The University of Arizona Institutional Review Board approved the case study process; both tribes agreed to participate and partnered in the research from conception to publication.

Limitations

  • Stated limitations: Not stated in the paper.
  • Evident limitations (not stated as such): the analysis covers only two selected, successful tribal data initiatives that agreed to participate, so findings may not generalize to other tribes or contexts; the study relies on literature, interviews/conversations, and project documents/reports rather than independent outcome measurement.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.18584/iipj.2017.8.2.1

Cites

21 of 22 references verified0 citation errors · 1 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

13 of 100 cited sources checked · 5 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 89 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 35
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 53
77 of 77
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The two case studies of Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe are representative enough to support general conclusions about U.S. tribes embracing Indigenous data sovereignty and data governance.

    “As we show with two case studies here, U.S. tribes have begun to interact with and embrace Indigenous data sovereignty and data governance as a means to assert their rights to create data by and for their nations and peoples.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Tribal enrollment information or tribally designed specifications are more adequate for characterizing Indigenous populations and informing policy than self-reports of tribal affiliation.

    “As a result, the data from the U.S. Census, administrative databases, and many surveys include self-reports of tribal affiliation, rather than tribal enrollment information or tribally designed specifications.This inadequately characterizes populations and insufficiently informs policy and resource allocation decisions”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Indigenous individuals and communities mistrust of data, its collection, and use is the result of past negative experiences with data collection and research, as well as lack of community involvement in data processes.

    “Indigenous individuals and communities mistrust of data, its collection, and use is the result of past negative experiences with data collection and research, as well as lack of community involvement in data processes.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Much of the data that tribes can access or use has been collected or organized by others.

    “Much of the data that tribes can access or use has been collected or organized by others.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Persistent data inaccuracies exist across sectors.

    “Persistent data inaccuracies exist across sectors.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Available data do not inform the questions tribes have nor is it available at the level of aggregation that tribes need.

    “Available data do not inform the questions tribes have nor is it available at the level of aggregation that tribes need.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The answers to data governance questions may be very different from answers in non-Indigenous communities.

    “However, the answers may be very different from answers in non-Indigenous communities.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    These questions are not unique to the two tribes or to communities in general.

    “These questions are not unique to the two tribes or to communities in general.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The two case accounts (Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) are representative or sufficient to support general conclusions about Indigenous data efforts.

    “The two tribal data initiatives summarized in these case accounts demonstrate that community-based, nation-driven strategic data initiatives can yield previously unavailable information for policy decisions and resource allocation.”
9 of 9

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

  • Single-race AIAN share does not match the reported population totals

    Minor

    The stated 2.9 million people are about 55.8% of the stated 5.2 million reporting AIAN heritage, not 49%.

    Reported 49 · recomputed 55.769231

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Show all 15 references

Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Todd, R. M. (2012, August 27). Indian Country economic development: Data and data gaps. Paper presented at the Conference on the Law and Economics of Indian Country Economic Development, Minneapolis, MN.
  2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2004). Trends in Indian health 2000-2001. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service.
  3. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2008). Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 2008 socio-economic profile. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department.
  4. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2009). Small business profile. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department. Retrieved from http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/economic_development.sstg?id=1&sub1=40
  5. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2010). Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 2009 socio-economic assessment. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department. Retrieved from http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/economic_development.sstg?id=1&sub1=40
  6. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2012a). Land use survey: Community report. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department. Retrieved from http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/economic_development.sstg?id=1&sub1=40
  7. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2012b). Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 2010 socio-economic profile. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department. Retrieved from http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/economic_development.sstg?id=1&sub1=40
  8. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2012c). Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 2012 socio-economic rofile. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department.
  9. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. (2013). Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Alternative Renewable Energy Community Engagement Survey. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, TX: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Economic Development Department. Retrieved from http://www.ysletadelsurpueblo.org/economic_development.sstg?id=1&sub1=40

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
Rainie, S. C., Schultz, J. L., Briggs, E., Riggs, P., & Palmanteer-Holder, N. L.
Affiliations
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • Bush Foundation (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
Venue
International Indigenous Policy Journal
Published
2017-03-10
Volume
8
Issue
2
ISSN
1916-5781 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2612250463
Cited by
114
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1
FWCI
29.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Indigenous Policy Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Udall Foundation
  • W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Indigenous Cultures and History
  • Social Sciences › Law › Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Law
  • Social Sciences › Health › Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
Keywords
Indigenous data sovereignty, tribal self-determination, data governance, Indigenous data, Indigenous governance, Indigenous decision-making, demographic data, socioeconomic data

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