Based on the scientific literature produced by social and medical sciences, this article presents a critical reflexion on the relationship between alcohol and Natives. Throughout Canadian history, the state and academia participated in the construction of this “problematic” relationship. With this knowledge, we better understand the government’s misinformed intervention politics. The concept of alcoholism should be considered a cultural response. It is also a manifestation of the complex individual and community identity struggles, engendered by the inclusion of native communities in the nation state. Today, under the pressure of native political groups, the state tries to give back autonomy to native communities while maintaining a victimising view of them. “De-victimisation” would allow the alcoholic individual to consider himself a responsable adult and thus strengthen his community. To access self-gouvernance, active responsibility is a necessary and difficult first step because communities are in need of new, healty and autonomous models.