Enhancing Tribal Governance: The Need for Improved Data Tools in Indian Country

Tribal Leaders Call for Enhanced Data Tools to Strengthen Governance and Economic Development

MINNEAPOLIS — In a pivotal discussion at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ Center for Indian Country Development, tribal leaders and experts underscored the urgent need for improved data tools to combat persistent data gaps that hinder governance and economic growth in Indian Country.

Rob Maxim, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, highlighted five critical data challenges facing tribal nations during a fireside chat with Casey Lozar, vice president and director of the Center for Indian Country Development. The conversation took place during the center’s 10th anniversary event and data summit, where the focus was on the detrimental impact of poor data quality and limited access on tribal decision-making.

Maxim pointed to sample size as the most pressing issue. In a recent study involving 16 federally recognized tribes in Southern California, he revealed that three tribes had margins of error in their population data larger than their actual population counts, while two tribes lacked any population data in Census Bureau records. “If you believe the numbers, there is a number, but it might be twice as big, or maybe it’s negative,” he stated, emphasizing the need for accurate data.

Other challenges include the misalignment of rural tribal geographies with standard census boundaries, federal data sets that categorize Native Americans solely as a racial group rather than as sovereign nations, and government surveys that overlook tribal priorities such as language proficiency. Maxim also noted that during the pandemic, many Tribal Epidemiology Centers struggled to access state and federal COVID-19 case data for Native populations.

Maxim’s report, “Good Data, Stronger Tribes,” was informed by interviews with over 60 tribal leaders and staff across various sectors, including planning, health, and economic development. He pointed to New Zealand as a model for Indigenous data sovereignty, where Maori data sovereignty is recognized as a treaty right. In New Zealand, Stats NZ collaborates with Maori tribes to track indicators that matter to them, allowing tribes to manage their own data.

“This is the type of product I’d love to see pilot in the US, either on the federal or maybe even a state level,” Maxim remarked, advocating for similar initiatives in the United States.

Lozar shared his own tribe’s success story, explaining how the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes utilized data over 35 years to guide their acquisition of a hydroelectric dam, which now serves as a significant revenue source. He noted that data has helped the tribes increase their ownership of the Flathead Indian Reservation from 22% in the early 1900s to approximately 72% today. “Data can be a really powerful tool for positive change, empowering a community to serve its people well,” Lozar said.

Maxim urged tribal leaders to prioritize data despite competing demands, asserting that good data is essential for maintaining tribal sovereignty. He also called for increased peer-to-peer learning among tribes and emphasized the need for more Native economists and data scientists. “Almost everything I do is learned on the job,” he explained, advocating for on-the-job training pathways rather than traditional academic credentials.

He further urged universities to incorporate Indigenous perspectives on economics into core curricula, arguing that Western concepts like property rights may not resonate with tribal communities where the federal government holds land title.

As tribal leaders continue to navigate the complexities of governance and economic development, the call for better data tools remains a critical step toward empowering Indigenous communities across the nation.