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This is a chapter in the book, Healing Traditions: The Mental Health of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Aboriginal peoples in Canada have diverse cultures but share common social and political challenges that have contributed to their experiences of health and illness. The collection of works in the book addresses the origins of mental health and social problems and the emergence of culturally responsive approaches to services and health promotion. It is not a handbook of practice but a resource for thinking critically about current issues in the mental health of indigenous peoples. Cross-cutting themes include: the impact of colonialism, sedentarization, and forced assimilation; the importance of land for indigenous identity and an ecocentric self; and processes of healing and spirituality as sources of resilience.