Equal Opportunity and American Indians

Equal Opportunity and American Indians - Fact Sheet

Americans for a Fair Chance - January 1, 2004

Equal opportunity is a tool to provide qualified individuals with equal access to opportunities. Equal opportunity programs, including recruitment, outreach, and training initiatives, have played a critical role in providing American Indians with access to educational and professional opportunities they would otherwise have been denied despite their strong qualifications.

Although the progress made over the last 30 years, ensuring equal opportunity for American Indians remains an elusive goal. Continued use of equal opportunity programs is necessary to help break down barriers to opportunity and ensure that all Americans have a fair chance to demonstrate their talents and abilities. Consider the following facts:

Pay Inequity

In 2002, the median family income of American Indians and others who identified themselves as Hispanic was $33,103, which is only about 78 percent of the $42,409 median for all families. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002)
The average U.S. salary for professional positions is $69,447. American Indians in these positions earn less than average with $57,427. (The Fact Book, U.S. Office of Professional Management, 2002)

Obstacles to Advancement

According to the 2000 Census, approximately 24 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native working population over the age of 16 was employed in management and professional occupations, compared with almost 36 percent for whites. (Census 2000, Census 2000 Brief, August 2003)
In 2000, American Indians had the highest percentage of unemployment, 7.6 percent. In contrast, the unemployment rate for whites in 2000 was 2.9 percent. (Census 2000, Census 2000 Brief, August 2003)

Equal opportunity programs targeted to American Indians at our nation's colleges and universities have resulted in the educational advancement of an increasing number of American Indian women and men. Despite these gains, however, American Indians still lag far behind whites and other ethnic groups in access to many educational areas.

The number of American Indians enrolled in higher education has increased in small increments over the past 20 years, but still remains low at less than one percent of all higher education students in 2000-2001. (Twentieth Annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education, 2003)
Between 1981-2001, the total number of degrees conferred on American Indians has risen substantially, by 151.9 percent. During this period, equal opportunity was a key tool used to increase American Indian enrollment. (Twentieth Annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education, 2003)
Equal opportunity efforts such as recruiting and outreach have set the stage for increases in the enrollment levels of American Indians at institutions of higher education. Between 1980-2001, American Indian enrollment increased by 80 percent. (Twentieth Annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education, 2003)
Overall, there has been little growth for professional degrees and decline for doctoral degrees among minorities. In 2000-2001, there was a 3 percent decline in doctorates awarded to minorities from 1999-2000. Also, in 2000-2001 American Indians experienced an 11.8 percent decline in doctorates received from the previous year, representing the lowest number of doctorates earned among all racial and ethnic minority groups. (Twentieth Annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education, 2003)
There was also a 3.7 percent decline in professional degrees earned by American Indians from 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. (Twentieth Annual Status Report on Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education, 2003)

Equal opportunity has helped American Indians in the workforce, allowing American Indian women and men greater access to higher paying jobs and new employment fields. However, limitations still remain.

Tribal Employment Rights Officers (TERO), representing the interests of over 130 tribes and 250 Alaska Native Villages now exist to increase the employment opportunities of Indian workers. The TEROs use existing tribal powers and federal Indian laws to capture employment opportunities and make sure that American Indians have access to those employment, training, and business opportunities that are already available on a reservation.
The work of TEROs has also enabled American Indian workers, contractors, and entrepreneurs through training and work experience to identify and successfully compete for opportunities off the reservation through the government or private sector.

Equal opportunity programs in contracting seek to remove barriers by creating useful and measured programs to promote inclusion of American Indians in all segments of our society.

Many equal opportunity measures are implemented only when other efforts fail. For example, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program operated by the Department of Transportation requires recipients of federal contracting dollars to give priority to outreach and technical assistance before resorting to measures such as contracting goals.
Equal opportunity programs provide for fair and reasonable measures to increase participation of qualified minorities. For example, the Department of Labor, which is charged with implementing federal equal opportunity programs, provides that "[g]oals may not be inflexible quotas which must be met, but must be targets reasonably attainable by applying every good faith effort to make all aspects of the entire affirmative action program work." (41 C.F.R. & 60-2.12)
The number of businesses owned by American Indians and Alaska natives in the United States increased 93 percent between 1987 and 1992, from 52,980 to 102,271. The rate of increase for all U.S. firms was 26 percent - 13.7 million in 1987 to 17.3 million in 1992. (U.S. Census Bureau, 1997)
Receipts for the nation's American Indian- and Alaska Native- owned businesses increased 115 percent from 1987 to 1992, from $3.7 billion to $8.1 billion. Receipts for all U.S. firms during the same period grew by 67 percent, from $2 trillion to $3.3 trillion. (U.S. Census Bureau, 1997)