Urban adaptation patterns of male and female American Indians were investigated via comparison of premigration statistics (48 Navajo and 40 Oklahoma families) with postmigration statistics on a sample of 23 Navajo and 21 Oklahoma families now living in Los Angeles. The premigration variables were residence patterns; population density; interactional patterns; previous urban experiences; age, level of education, and marital status at entry; relocation vs independent migration. Premigration findings indicated Oklahoma Indians were better equipped to cope with city life, for they were older, better educated, more often married, more experienced in both urban and non-Indian interaction, and more often from less isolated areas. The variables of postmigration were initial urban residence patterns, initial vs present residence, job mobility, earning capacity, assistance patterns, coping mechanisms, and measures of acculturation. Postmigration findings indicated: initial residence was established in the downtown area, but both groups moved from there to the area of Indian concentration; earning capacity had doubled for both sexes of both groups; there was job mobility for most Indians, though Oklahoma males experienced 43.8% slippage; Navajos had more independent coping strategies, though both groups moved toward self-help. (JC)