Edna Paisano

Edna Lee Paisano (1948-2014) was a Nez Perce and Laguna Pueblo demographer and statistician who became the first Native American full-time employee of the United States Census Bureau in 1976. She dedicated her career to correcting the systematic undercounting of Native American communities in federal statistics, and her statistical analysis, questionnaire development and community outreach substantially improved the accuracy of the American Indian and Alaska Native census category between the 1980 and 1990 censuses. She also contributed to federal initiatives including Head Start, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Indian Health Service, and received a Department of Commerce Silver Medal in 1994.