The authors review the sociocultural and epidemiological literature about Alaskan Natives and alcohol in the context of Alaska's history and political development. For nearly two centuries, the drinking patterns of Alaskan Natives were attributed to racial deficiencies and used to justify the prohibition against drinking. Beginning in the early 1950s, sociocultural studies of Native drinking challenged racial explanations by describing the many differences in drinking patterns among Native communities. At first, state policy regarded alcoholism solely as an individual problem to be solved by treatment, but later incorporated a community-wide response involving measures of local control. Epidemiological studies have documented the high toll taken by alcohol abuse, which is now the worst health problem for Alaskan Natives. A variety of governmental instruments are now available to Alaskan Native communities for establishing control over the use of alcohol and for establishing alcohol-related programs. Future studies will determine the effects of self-determination on Alaskan Natives and alcohol.