Systemic Inequities in Indigenous Data Governance

There is no standardized practice for collecting race, ethnicity, and tribal affiliation data. Across law enforcement, criminal legal, and social service systems, there is no uniform standard for collecting race and ethnicity data and few entities collect tribal affiliation.* Most data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations are collected and maintained by non-Indigenous entities including city, county, state, and federal entities that may have limited experience working with tribal and urban Indian communities. As a result, data can vary from non-existent to fragmented including missing data, inaccurate data, and unanalyzed data.