Madam Chair, it is a great honour for me to stand tonight to take part in the take-note debate on mental health, addressing the gap. This topic is close to my heart. I do not think five minutes will do it justice, but in the short time that I have been allotted, I would like to talk about the disparity between the non-indigenous and indigenous people who live in Canada.
First, I would like to say that tonight I am here not only as the member of Parliament who represents the amazing riding of Richmond Hill, but also as a person with lived experience, both personally and through family and close friends. As the focus of my intervention tonight is on the indigenous, let me start by saying kwe, kwe. Ullukkut. Tansi. Hello. Bonjour. I would like to also acknowledge that Canada's Parliament is located on the beautiful unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
We indeed need to have this conversation and debate tonight. It has been long overdue. Mental health is an urgent and critical issue that impacts non-indigenous as well as indigenous people across this country. We need to acknowledge and look closely at the states of emergency that have been declared in many indigenous communities in recent years as they suffered the horrific loss of their young and other loved ones.
Suicide rates have consistently been shown to be higher among first nation, Inuit and Métis people in Canada than among non-indigenous people. In fact, the rates among first nations are three times higher than that of non-indigenous people. For the Métis, the suicide rate was approximately twice as high as that of non-indigenous. For the Inuit, the rate was approximately nine times higher.
Behind each of these statistics are stories of unspeakable grief and loss, but also strength and resiliency. The historical and ongoing impacts of colonization, the forced placement of indigenous children in residential schools, the removal of indigenous peoples from their homes, families and communities during the sixties scoop and the forced relocation of communities has been well documented. This resulted in the breakdown of families, communities, political and economic structures, loss of language, culture and traditions, exposure to abuse, intergenerational transmission of trauma and marginalization, which are associated with high rates of suicide.
We know these high rates are linked to a variety of factors, but we also know the way forward is to address the disparities in the determinants of health and also help indigenous people find a sense of hope and belonging. I was glad to hear that the determinants of health was a topic of a question that was raised in the House.
Closing the gaps in the areas of education, housing and health care will go a long way to promoting mental well-being. The government knows that the first nation, Inuit and Métis people have suffered the effects of inadequate housing, education and health and as a result there has been an impact on their mental health outcomes. That is why we have been working with indigenous partners to determine what is needed to close the housing, education and health gaps for the non-indigenous and indigenous communities.
The work to co-develop distinctions-based indigenous health legislation is part of this government's commitment to address the social determinants of health and advance self-determination in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We know that the way forward is working with indigenous partners to address the disparities in the determinants of health and help people find a sense of hope and belonging.
