I move that, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should adopt the recommendations of the official opposition report on the Indigenous determinants of health so that Ontario recognizes “Indigeneity” and “colonialism” as overarching and intersectional determinants of health across government ministries.

Speaker, I spoke to the leadership of Muskrat Dam after I announced this motion, and they told me that they need to declare a mental health state of emergency. There is an ongoing public health emergency and social crisis related to mental health and addictions in the 33 First Nations served by the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, also known as SLFNHA.

On September 5 and 6, 2023, an annual general meeting for SLFNHA chiefs was held. The chiefs in the assembly heard staggering statistics from the preliminary mental health and addictions report. According to data analyses completed by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, or ICES, mental health and substance abuse health care utilization rates for Sioux Lookout-area First Nations band members residing on-reserve in any First Nation community in Ontario and off-reserve in Ontario are as follows:

In 2021, Sioux Lookout-area First Nations band members visited the emergency department services for mental health and addictions at a rate 14 times the provincial rate.

In 2021, Sioux Lookout-area First Nations band members visited the emergency department for intentional self-harm or risks of suicide at a rate of 16 times the provincial rate.

In 2021, Sioux Lookout-area First Nations band members were hospitalized for mental health and addictions at a rate six times greater than the provincial rate.

According to data from the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario, unnatural death rates in the Sioux Lookout-area First Nations are as follows:

The rate of unnatural death in the Sioux Lookout-area First Nations was 1.6 in 2021, 3.4 times the provincial rate and 2.4 times the national rate.

The rate of death by asphyxia-related suicide in the Sioux Lookout-area First Nations members is 15 times greater than the Canadian rate.

Asphyxia by hanging is a primary cause of unnatural death in the Sioux Lookout-area First Nations. It is determined to be the cause of 38% of all unnatural deaths between 2011-21 and the cause of over 70% of unnatural deaths among children 10 to 19 years of age during the same time period.

I’m just sharing these stats to quantify, you know, the desperate situation that First Nations leadership has to deal with on a daily basis. This crisis is devastating. It takes an enormous toll on their already limited human and financial resources.

The mental health crisis and addictions crisis stems from systematic racism and intergenerational trauma, and the continuing colonial violence embedded in the current federal and provincial health care systems.

The position of the chief states that the Sioux Lookout-area First Nations “will no longer accept processes that are founded on a program-by-program basis, whereby the governments off-load their responsibility while maintaining power and control over our people and organizations” and that those processes must be replaced with a whole-system approach that brings authority back to the First Nations people.

In addition to requiring immediate resources to address the current crisis, the communities served by SLFNHA deserve an equitable and comprehensive public health system to respond to the mental health crisis and other health and public health emergencies. This will allow for control over solutions to ensure that they are delivered in a coordinated, holistic and culturally safe manner to address the social determinants of health and mental health.

We know the health system does not work for Indigenous people. Some people say it’s broken, but it’s not broken. It is working exactly the way it’s designed to, which is to take away the rights of the people through their lands and resources. It is working exactly the way it’s designed to, which is to harm our people.

What I have shared about the public health emergency and social crisis related to mental health and addictions among the Sioux Lookout-area First Nations cannot be denied. It cannot be argued with.

I want to thank some of the advocates working on the front lines of health who see the realities in their work. One of them is Caroline Lidstone-Jones, the chief executive officer of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council. The IPHCC has dedicated significant time and resources towards engagements focused on development of the more truthful and accurate Indigenous social determinants of health, which include impacts of colonization, impacts of racism, as well as protectant factors such as traditional healing and connection to the land, water, culture and other determinants.

We must ensure that patient-centered services, grounded in equity, are accessible to patients across the province. This motion presents an important and critical step towards recognizing and addressing factors that impact the health and the well-being of Indigenous people in Ontario. If we fail to recognize these determinants, we will fail to address them and ultimately implement solutions that can improve health outcomes and save lives. This government has an opportunity to ensure that this does not happen.

The IPHCC and its network of Indigenous primary health care organization members have developed a provincial Indigenous integrated health hub to ensure that Indigenous peoples are directly involved in the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of health services for Indigenous peoples in Ontario. This work involves collectively advancing Indigenous-led health care solutions across its network of members. This hub also involves working across the broader health system, including the public health units, the mainstream providers to understand and implement more meaningful Indigenous social determinants of health and to introduce accountability measures into the system to ensure Indigenous peoples have equitable access to safe and appropriate health services across the province.

I know that we must look at other provinces such as BC and their First Nations Health Authority, as well as examples within our own backyard such as health system transformation efforts led by the provincial-territorial organizations, Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and the work of Indigenous primary health care organizations, to understand that factors impacting the health and the well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people go beyond the determinants that have been developed through a predominantly Western lens without our input.

Sometimes it’s very difficult to hear stories. We talk about long-term care; our people, our elders have to leave their First Nations, their communities. They’re gone for good, and the only time they come back is when they come back in a box. That’s how colonialism works. And it is my hope that this government—and I trust that this motion will be adopted for further discussion and deliberation, and ultimately implemented across government ministries in Ontario, because the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. Meegwetch.

First of all, I want to commend my colleague from Kiiwetinoong on this acute, efficient and powerful motion. Speaker, there is no other answer to this motion than to support it loudly. There is no way to live in this day and age and not agree that Indigeneity and colonialism are overarching and intersectional determinants of health. Let me tell you how it translates in Mushkegowuk–James Bay.

Ce n’est pas pour rien que je répète très souvent au premier ministre et à son cabinet des ministres de mettre les pieds dans le Nord. Quand on parle du Nord, je vous défie de venir voir les communautés des Premières Nations du Traité 9 sur le bord de la baie James. Vous vous rendriez bien vite compte que de reconnaître le colonialisme et l’indigénéité se fait dans un coup d’oeil.

Speaker, let me give you a few examples of these two factors that can considerably change the quality of health care you receive. We all know about the world-infamous boil water advisories in 23 First Nations territories, with some dating back decades:

—Nibinamik First Nation has had water advisories since 2013: 10 years and still waiting;

—Gull Bay has had their water advisories since 2009: almost 15 years now;

—Sandy Lake First Nation has had their boil-water advisories since 2002: 20 years;

—Neskantaga First Nation has had their water advisories since 1995: 30 years.

It is clear: All the longest-standing water advisories in all of Ontario are on First Nations territories.

Mais je veux vous parler aussi de la dialyse. Quand on parle de la dialyse, nos commettants sont obligés de se déplacer de leurs communautés, soit dans Moose Factory—s’il n’y a pas de place à Moose Factory, ils sont obligés de se déplacer à Kingston. Ils vivent dans des motels pendant des mois. Des motels pendant des mois, c’est inacceptable. On se tanne, nous, dans une semaine ou quelques jours—on est tanné de rester dans des motels. Mais eux, ils sont obligés d’y rester pendant des mois.

We could talk about community isolation, lack of social services and non-recognition of traditional ways of life and cultural health care providers, trauma, industry development in communities that have polluted their environment, and so much more. And there is one thing I also want to talk about: dialysis. A machine costs $84,000. Think about it: $84,000 put in a community and they can stay with their loved ones. And that’s what’s not happening.

We all can think of at least one way to say, “Yes, colonialism is a determinant of health in this province.” I’m truly hoping that this government and all MPPs in this House will rise to support this motion that is in line with the World Health Organization and will finally put in the right tools to address a very important health crisis in Ontario.