2/10/2009 2:25:00 PM Navajo census manager emphasizes importance of 2010 census
Jolene Yazzie
By Eric Adam, U.S. Census Bureau Special to the Observer
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau states that the 2010 Decennial Census Program is the only data-gathering effort that collects demographic data for every geographic area recognized by the Census Bureau. It builds on the successful data collection efforts of past censuses and moves the nation forward to a new era that will have the advantage of more current and timely census data to measure its performance, identify its needs and chart its course.
Up for grabs is approximately $300 billion in federal funds which are allocated to federal, state, county and local programs such as educational institutions, Social Security and Medicare benefits, food stamps, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, job training programs, developmental programs for people with disabilities and veterans services.
Data collected presenting the voting-age population are used by states to meet legislative redistricting requirements. The Department of Housing and Urban Development utilizes data to establish Fair Market Rents and for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
The Navajo Nation estimates its population to be approximately 250,000 people with a land base covering over 17 million acres. The Hopi Reservation consists of approximately 1.5 million acres and in the 2000 Census counted 6,946 people.
Jolene Yazzie, 34, is Navajo and lives on in Tolani Lake, which is located about 15 miles north of Leupp. Her official title with the Census Bureau office in Flagstaff is Assistant Manager of Quality Assurance. Yazzie travels about 3,000 miles a month getting to work and back with the local Census Office in Flagstaff.
Yazzie's boss, Paul Baker, manager of the Flagstaff Census Bureau office, says, "Jolene represents the qualities that we feel are important here and that is utilization of local leaders to be our managers and she well represents that. She knows the area, she has family connections throughout the area, she is a good calming presence and an impressive manager within the organization and is extremely competent."
Yazzie takes a lot of pride with her responsibilities and says, "The Census is very important to the Navajo Nation because we get funding according to the population, numbers and size. To me it's history in the making and that's why I do it and hopefully my kids will know how important it is when they get older."
Yazzie's children, Eric, 16, Derick, 14, and Brandon, 12 experienced the 2000 Census with her. "Now they are older and understand better the importance of the 2010 Census," she said.
Yazzie juggles her schedule between work and home. Yazzie's husband, Jonathan, is an electrician and has a flexible schedule allowing him to be there for their children while Jolene travels to and from Flagstaff.
Yazzie works occasional weekends to conduct testing at different locations on the reservation. When the Flagstaff Census office opened, Yazzie worked as a recruiter and an examiner, testing applicants and training clerks in geo-coding, which is a process of identifying specific locations where an individual lives within the United States.
Yazzie is no stranger to the Census as she worked in 2000 as a recruiter, a crew leader and in Quality Assurance out of Window Rock.
Yazzie feels that because of the economy some of their youth leave home to go elsewhere to work. Yazzie's take on that is she encourages people to get a good education so they can get a good job at home. Although she acknowledges there are limited opportunities on the reservations, she does note there are many medical and educational facilities which offer professional positions.
The local Census office in Flagstaff is trying to fill approximately 1,500 part-time/full-time temporary positions to cover central and all of northern Arizona. Anyone interested in applying for a position with the U.S. Census Bureau can call 1-866-861-2010 or the Flagstaff office at (928) 286-5620.
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, February 12, 2009
Article comment by:
Nizhoni
Stories like this make me happy to see the development of our nation and gives me hope that we have the tools and people to develop our nation with strong and able Dine'. Some people claim that Navajo Nation could not exist without the feds, that the commodity is too good, but able individuals like this prove we have the right stuff. It is a requiem to nation-building to have people able to carry out things like census, something decreed in the US Constitution. The woman in this article displays all the skills we need in our people to create a strong, healthy nation.
The little country of Iceland shows that 300,000 people can become a nation if the people all work together. I pray our people remember that we all play a role in re-establishing the merits of Navajo Nation and displaying nation-like sufficiency.
