Memo

The Census Bureau plans to conduct additional research under the generic clearance for questionnaire pretesting research (OMB number 0607-0725). The purpose of this research is to conduct focus groups with the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population on the topic of a separate and specific tribal enrollment question. The research is sponsored by the Census Bureau’s Population Division (POP).

The goal of this research is to explore with AIAN participants the topics of: (a) tribal enrollment, (b) the tribal enrollment process, (c) the possible impact of the Census Bureau collecting data on tribal enrollment, and (d) the best wording to use for a potential tribal enrollment question. The results of this research will be used to help develop one or more versions of a tribal enrollment question for cognitive testing. At a future date, a separate OMB clearance package will be submitted for the cognitive test research. The results of the cognitive tests will be used to help select one or more versions of a tribal enrollment question for inclusion in the upcoming 2017 Decennial Census Test.

From January – February 2016, staff from the Center for Survey Measurement (CSM) will conduct up to 11 focus groups. The focus groups will be conducted with participants from each of the following four subgroups:

(1) American Indians enrolled in federally-recognized tribes (n = 5)

(2) American Indians enrolled in state-recognized tribes (n = 2)

(3) American Indians enrolled in tribes not recognized by either the federal government or any state government (n = 2)

(4) Alaska Natives with tribe, village, corporation, or similar identities (n = 2)

For the first three subgroups, we plan to conduct focus groups by tribe recognition status because participants from tribes of different recognition statuses will likely have different perspectives on a tribal enrollment question administered by the federal government. For the last subgroup, focus groups will be conducted with Alaska Native people to explore their unique relationships to tribes, villages, corporations, and similar entities in Alaska.

To achieve geographic diversity in tribe heritage and focus group location, the focus groups will be conducted in most of the regions identified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1. BIA region and participant subgroup for each focus group

Number	BIA Region	Subgroup
1	Pacific	Federally-recognized tribes
2	Southwest	Federally-recognized tribes
3	Eastern Oklahoma	Federally-recognized tribes
4	Great Plains	Federally-recognized tribes
5	Rocky Mountain	Federally-recognized tribes
6	Eastern	State-recognized tribes
7	Eastern	State-recognized tribes
8	Pacific	Non-recognized tribes
9	Northwest	Non-recognized tribes
10	Alaska	Alaska Natives
11	Alaska	Alaska Natives

The aim is to include eight participants per focus group, for a total of 88 participants in the research. We plan to recruit 12 participants for each group in case some participants do not show up, but we will cap each group at eight participants. Participants who arrive after we have the maximum number of participants will be paid the honorarium and excused.

Regarding participant recruitment, we will use a recruitment contractor who has the expertise to recruit specifically from the AIAN population. This contractor will coordinate with contacts from their AIAN networks to screen and recruit AIAN participants. The contractor will use the attached recruitment flyers, tribal publication ads, and Craigslist ads to recruit participants (see Enclosure 1). The Census Bureau will provide the recruitment contractor staff with the attached screener questionnaires to use during recruitment. One screener questionnaire will be used for American Indians, and another will be used for Alaska Natives (see Enclosure 2 and Enclosure 3). Census Bureau researchers will select the final participants, including alternatives, for each focus group.

For all focus groups, we plan to recruit participants who are not employed by the Federal Government. They will be screened on and vary by:

• race (race alone or in combination)

• tribe(s)

• tribal enrollment status

• whether living on or off an American Indian reservation

• level of tribal engagement

• education level

• age

• gender

Attached to this letter are two versions of a moderator guide for the research, which include a mock-up of an experimental race and Hispanic origin question (see Enclosure 4 and Enclosure 5). The first version is for American Indians. The second version is for Alaska Natives to address their unique relationships to tribes, villages, corporations, and similar entities in Alaska.

Each protocol is organized into three parts. In the first part, participants will answer the mock-up as part of a discussion about their race and tribe (and/or village) heritage. In the second part, participants will discuss their thoughts and opinions about tribal enrollment. In the third part, participants will discuss and critique sample tribal enrollment questions, as well as discuss their ideas about the best way ask a tribal enrollment question. Also during the third part, participants will discuss the possible impact of the Census Bureau collecting data on tribal enrollment. During the second and third parts of each focus group, participants will answer questions about tribal enrollment, as shown in the Focus Group Questions Handout section of the moderator guides.

All focus groups will be video-recorded to facilitate a summary of the results. The participants will be asked to sign consent forms (see Enclosure 6) and give permission to be video recorded. All participants will be informed that their responses are voluntary and that the information they provide is confidential. After the focus group concludes, participants will receive a $75 incentive to offset the cost of participation, such as transportation or childcare costs.

For this project, we expect to screen up to 660 people to arrive at 132 participants to invite to the focus groups. Screening takes approximately five minutes per person. Of the 132 participants recruited and invited to the focus groups, 88 will be kept for the focus groups, and 44 will be paid and excused as alternates. Thus, the maximum burden is 231 hours total, 176 hours for the focus groups (two hours X the 88 participants kept for the focus groups), and 55 hours (five minutes X 660 people) for recruiting.

Below is a list of materials to be used in this study.

1. Draft recruitment flyers and tribal publication ads (Craigslist Ads + Recruitment Flyers + Tribal Publication Ads.docx)

2. Draft AIAN recruitment screener for American Indians (FG_Screener_Questions_AI L48 111915.docx)

3. Draft AIAN recruitment screener for Alaska Natives (FG_Screener_Questions_AN 111915.docx)

4. Draft AIAN enrollment question focus group moderator guide for American Indians (AIAN EQ Moderator Guide AI 112015.docx)

5. Draft AIAN enrollment question focus group moderator guide for Alaska Natives (AIAN EQ Moderator Guide AN 112015.docx)

6. Draft consent form for focus group participation (Focus Group Consent Form AIAN.docx)

The contact person for questions regarding data collection and study design is:

Rodney L. Terry

Center for Survey Measurement

U.S. Census Bureau

Room 5K022E

Washington, D.C. 20233

(301) 763-5479

rodney.terry@census.gov

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