For the first time in the history of the United States of America, the racial options on the census for the year 2000 permitted people to choose more than a single racial category. 'Nearly seven million people say that they belong to more than one race,' Eric Schmitt reported in the New York Times on 13 March 2001.

According to the census results, white and black, white and Asian, white and American Indian or Alaska native, and white and another race such as Latino were the most common interracial categories. Black teenagers (17 and under) were four times more likely to identify with two or more races than black senior citizens (50 and over). And there were 4.1 million people who claim to be full or part Alaska native or American Indian.

Prior to 1790, there was no legal requirement in America to classify people by race in the census, and there were no generally accepted standards for determining a person's racial identity. From 1830 to 1880 Indians living on reservations were described variously as 'free colored' (1830, 1840), 'mulatto' (1850, 1860, 1880), 'black', (1860) and no designation (white, 1860). Only since 1890 have Indians been described as 'Indian' by census officials (Rountree 1990).

A descendent of the Texas tribes who made their way to California in the 1850s, Carla Toney has specialized in the study of non-status Indians, tribal migrations and remnant communities.

Carla Toney is a regular contributor to All Things Cherokee.