<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE>                    6
<LEGEND>
THIS  SCHEDULE  CONTAINS  SUMMARY  FINANCIAL  INFORMATION  EXTRACTED  FROM THE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE FUND AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE
TO  SUCH  FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS
</LEGEND>
                                                     <CIK>          0000811860
                                      <NAME>          SATURNA INVESTMENT TRUST
<SERIES>
                                                           <NUMBER>          4
                                  <NAME>          SEXTANT SHORT TERM BOND FUND
                                                       <MULTIPLIER>          1
                                                <CURRENCY>          US DOLLARS
       

<CAPTION>



<S>                          <C>

<PERIOD-TYPE>                YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>            NOV-30-1997
<PERIOD-START>               DEC-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                 NOV-30-1997
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                        1
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>            2412154
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>           2417617
<RECEIVABLES>                      49186
<ASSETS-OTHER>                     43321
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                   0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                   2510124
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>               0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>           1836
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                 1836
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                        0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>         2525356
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>             502530
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>             403341
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>              0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>          (22,531)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>               0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>            5463
<NET-ASSETS>                     2508288
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                      0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                 153602
<OTHER-INCOME>                   (19,105)
<EXPENSES-NET>                     13052
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>           121445
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>           (1405)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>           1028
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>             121068
<EQUALIZATION>                         0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>       (121,530)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>               0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                  0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>           265939
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>       190967
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                24218
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>            228735
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>              0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>             0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>              13245
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                     0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                    21661
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>             2174909
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>               5.00
<PER-SHARE-NII>                     0.27
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>            (0.01)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                0.27
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>              0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                   0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                 4.99
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                     0.60
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                   0
        



</TABLE>