THE NAVAJO ARE THE LARGEST SINGLE TRIBE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEIR SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE PATTERNS DIFFER FROM THOSE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS WELL AS THOSE AMONG URBAN WHITES AND BLACKS. NAVAJO SUICIDES AND HOMICIDE OFFENDERS BOTH TEND TO BE MALES BETWEEN 35 AND 39 YEARS OF AGE WHO ARE MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. THE MOTIVE FOR SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE GENERALLY IS DOMESTIC STRIFE OR SEXUAL JEALOUSY, AND THE MURDER VICTIM TENDS TO BE THE WIFE. MOREOVER A HIGH PROPORTION OF NAVAJO HOMICIDE OFFENDERS COMMIT SUICIDE IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMMITTING HOMICIDE. DEVIANCE AMONG YOUNGER MARRIED MALES IS CONSISTENT WITH MORE TRADITIONAL PATTERNS OF MALE EMOTIONAL ABILITY AND THE INSTABILITY OF NAVAJO MARRIAGE. THE HIGHEST INVOLVEMENT WITH DRINKING AND THE GREATEST USE OF ALCOHOL WAS FOUND AMONG THE MOST TRADITIONAL AND LEAST ACCULTURATED NAVAJOS, WHILE THE LOWEST USE AND INVOLVEMENT WAS FOUND IN THE MOST ACCULTURATED OFF-RESERVATION GROUP. ALSO STUDIED WAS THE HOPI INDIANS' PREDILECTION FOR MILDNESS AND SOBRIETY IN VIEW OF THEIR CLOSE PROXIMITY AND SIMILAR ECONOMIC CONDITION TO THE NAVAJOS. OVERALL, THE STUDIES SUGGEST THAT BOTH THE PREVALENCE AND PATTERNING OF THESE BEHAVIORS ARE LARGELY EXPLAINABLE IN TERMS OF PERSISTING ELEMENTS OF ABORIGINAL CULTURE RATHER THAN AS RESPONSES TO ACCULTURATION AND SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION. PREVIOUS APPROACHES TO THE SUBJECT HAVE BEEN MORE INFLUEN BY WESTERN TRADITIONS OF SOCIAL THOUGHT THAN BY ANY CONSIDERATION OF THE DATA AND THEORY APPROPRIATE TO THEIR ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION. HOWEVER THE RESULTS DO NOT IMPLY THAT WHITE CONQUEST HAS HAD NO DELETERIOUS EFFECTS INDIAN LIFE, OR THAT GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS FOR INDIANS SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED. RATHER, SUCH PROGRAMS MUST BE BASED ON MORAL AND POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS AS WELL AS ON THE FINDINGS OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. A TABLE SHOWING THE AVERAGE ANNUAL HOMICIDE RATES FOR SELECTED TRIBES (1883-1889) AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (WJR)