This study uses data collected over 8 time periods to examine time-varying and time-invariant predictors of alcohol initiation among urban American Indian youth, an understudied population. Similar socialization risk and protective factors were found to be related to initiation as other American youth. However, a nuclear family was not found to be protective against initiating alcohol use and living with a father only and having an alcoholic father significantly increased initiation odds. In general, these urban Indian youth are much like other American youth in their initiation of alcohol use, although they may initiate alcohol use at slightly lower rates. Figures, tables, and references (Published Abstract)