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U.S. NEWS Saturday 20 OctOber 2018

Bering Sea village will be first counted in 2020 US Census

By DAN JOLING in mid-March, Jarmin said.
Associated Press The bureau is expected
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) to hire 300,000 census tak-
— A southwest Alaska Yu- ers throughout the country
pik village on the Bering and will hire local people.
Sea will be the first counted “It’s important to have
for the 2020 U.S. Census. somebody that people will
Acting U.S. Census Bureau feel comfortable opening
director Ron Jarmin said their door to, talking to,”
Friday that census takers Jarmin said. “It also really
on Jan. 21, 2020, will de- helps to have someone
scend on Toksook (TOOK- who knows the people and
sook) Bay, a village of 673 knows the terrain.”
in southwest Alaska. Jarmin acknowledged that
Toksook Bay is 512 miles starting the census with a
(825 kilometers) west of high-profile ceremony in an
Anchorage. It’s accessible unusual location will help
only by airplane or boat. publicize the importance
Counting people in Alaska of the census. The count
is challenging because of figures into each state’s
the state’s vast size — more representation in Congress,
than twice as big as the voting districts and fed-
next largest state, Texas — eral aid. In Alaska, he said,
and the difficulty in reach- not counting one person Ron Jarmin, acting director of the U.S. Census Bureau, addresses the convention of the Alaska
ing rural villages off the means a loss of $3,000 an- Federation of Natives, Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, in Anchorage, Alaska. Associated Press
road system. nually.
The Census Bureau will give “This is absolutely critical for
itself a head start and trav- determining how federal
el to rural Alaska villages funds that are tied to the
while rivers remain frozen population are doled out,”
and snow covers the land- he said.
scape, allowing for travel Jarmin announced the
to homes by snowmobile choice of Toksook Bay at
and all-terrain vehicles. the annual convention of
“Logistically, I think we the Alaska Federation of
need to get to the remote Natives, the state’s largest
villages before the spring Alaska Native organization.
thaw,” Jarmin said. “That’s In 2010, the bureau began
when people are there. the census in Noorvik, an
That’s when you can ac- Inupiat village of 670 on the
tually access the commu- Kobuk River in northwest
nity.” Alaska. The head of the
The early start also allows Census Bureau conducted
census takers to reach peo- the first enumeration that
ple in villages before they year and is expected to be
scatter to remote camps on hand in Toksook Bay.
for hunting or fishing. Many President Donald Trump
Toksook Bay residents sup- has nominated Steven Dill-
port themselves by com- ingham to be permanent
mercial fishing as well as Census Bureau director.
traditional subsistence ac- Dillingham answered ques-
tivities such as harvesting tions this month at a confir-
fish, game, waterfowl and mation hearing before the
berries. Senate Homeland Security
Most Americans will receive and Governmental Affairs
notices by mail to self-re- Committee, which has not
spond to census questions voted on the nomination.q