EBCI reveals census results
The census had a 56% participation rate. From EBCI.com
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Census results have been finalized for the first time in over two decades.
During the June 5 reports to Tribal Council, EBCI Public Health and Human Services Director Anita Lossiah, who headed up the census project, presented the results. First, she had praise for the team that took on the tall task.
“It took a lot of people to implement this census process,” she said.
Unlike the U.S. Census, which is mailed to individual homes in addition to being accessible online, the EBCI Census was administered solely online. In a Smoky Mountain News story published last year, Lossiah said her team was not doing any door-to-door outreach to connect people with resources to complete the census but has been working to get the message out on multiple channels. Census information was included on GenWell and per capita checks, was published in the Cherokee One Feather and is available on tribal government web and social media pages. In addition, a $100 incentive was provided to participants.
Losiah noted during the June 5 meeting that the census, administered last year, generated a strong participation rate. She called it “very successful,” adding that of the 11,513 enrolled adult members, 56% participated.
The EBCI Charter and Governing Document dictates that the census must be administered every 10 years; however, it was last completed in 2001. Tribal Council authorized a census to be conducted in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau in 2017, but the tribal government failed to meet the deadline for requirements to secure federal help. The U.S. Census in 2020, coupled with the pandemic, prevented the Census Bureau from becoming involved after that point. In December 2022, Tribal Council passed a new resolution authorizing the census to be carried out electronically.
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The results will be used to determine the weighted votes for council members based on the populations of the communities represented. Voting outcomes on the 12-person Tribal Council are calculated using a weighted voting system, with the value of each member’s vote ranging from six to 12, depending on the population of the community they represent.
Along with complying with tribal law and determining the weighted vote, the census also collected a wide array of data, including members’ housing situations, health, personal priorities and even Cherokee language proficiency.
Following Losiah’s presentation, council reps appeared to be pleased with her team’s effort, and Chairman Mike Parker noted that he’d like to see action taken based on some of the results; for example, he hoped to see more outreach to people who may be experiencing housing or food insecurity.
The full census results are available at ebci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ebci-census-results-2024-web.pdf.
