Within the period January 1987 through December 1987, a total of 1,067 American Indians were arrested for DWI. This sample was compared for age, gender, and occupational status to 28,130 total DWI arrestees during the same period. The data show that American Indians were the most overrepresented population, since they were two-and-one-half times more likely to be arrested for DWI than the overall DWI arrest population. The population of American Indians arrested for DWI was three times more likely to be unemployed compared to the resident labor force of all American Indians. This research supports the conclusion that DWI arrests can be viewed as a symptom of alcohol misuse, abuse, or chemical dependency for American Indians, and that a DWI prevention strategy should include education, prevention, intervention, treatment, aftercare, and law enforcement efforts that are sensitive to tribal diversity. 6 tables and 15 references