The American Indian and Alaska Native population is expected to reach 8.6 million by 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The figure is based on persons who claim Native ancestry either as a single race or as mixed-race. If it holds true, Native Americans would make up percent of the U.S. population.

Currently, the American Indian and Alaska Native population is 5.2 million, which includes people of more than one race. But the number of people who are enrolled in federally recognized tribes is only about 1.9 million, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Get the Story:
Census: American Indian populations are on the rise (The Farmington Daily Times 11/29)