This paper examines how mental health service research and discourse reflect such remnant colonial ideas and, as such, constitute a social determinant of mental health for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The paper is organized as follows. First, the methods used to gather information are briefly described. A second section looks at what areas research tends to focus on with regard to mental health for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Third, a brief historical look at mental health and its relationship with colonialism around the world is presented, followed by a discussion of some hidden assumptions that stem from colonialism and can be found in the present-day mental health literature. A fifth section looks at the concept of social determinants of health as a framework for understanding health inequities, and positions colonialism in this framework. Next, a section on cultural competence and cultural humility is meant to offer some possibilities for how mental health research in Canada might better incorporate Aboriginal views of the world. A concluding section describes what Aboriginal scholars are saying about mental health and colonialism, and how mental health services are changing in response.