Miles Morrisseau
TIC

Revered Anishinaabe Chief Murray Sinclair – a member of the Peguis First Nation and former senator, judge and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada – died Monday, November 4, in a Winnipeg hospital. He was 73 years old.

His family released a statement saying he died “peacefully and surrounded by love.”

“Maziina Giizhik (he who speaks of images in the sky) has dedicated his life to serving the people: creating change, revealing the truth, and leading with fairness throughout his career. The impact of our father’s work has spread across the country and around the world,” the statement read.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Murray Sinclair Memorial Fund at the Winnipeg Foundation. A sacred fire will take place on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

“Everyone is welcome to visit his sacred fire to make an offering of tobacco and send him their best wishes,” the family said. “Out of respect for his journey over the next few days, the family respectfully asks others across the country not to light any further fires for him. Additional information on public ceremonies will be available in the coming days. Our family has asked for privacy during this time of grief.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement calling Sinclair a “giant and champion.”

“He listened to residential school survivors and made sure Canada heard their stories,” Trudeau said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He defended the right of Indigenous students to go to school in their language and culture. And he was kind, patient, and understanding toward people like me, who had a lot to learn. “Education got us into this mess,” he said. “Education will get us out.”

“With his passing, Canada has lost a giant: a brilliant jurist, a champion of Indigenous rights and a trusted leader on our path to reconciliation. My thoughts are with the Sinclair family, his friends, his colleagues and all those who are grieving today. He will be greatly missed,” Trudeau said.

“Who we are”

Sinclair was born on January 24, 1951 in the town of Selkirk, about 20 miles east of Winnipeg. He attended the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba and graduated from the University of Manitoba Law School in 1979. In 1980, he was called to the bar.

In 1988, Sinclair became the first Aboriginal person to be appointed a judge in the province of Manitoba and only the second in the entire country. He gained national recognition soon after when he was named co-chair of the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry. The investigation followed two murders in the province, the brutal killing of Cree teenager Helen Betty Osbourne in the northern town of The Pas and the police killing of JJ Harper on the streets of Winnipeg.

In 2007, Sinclair took on a historic role by accepting the role of chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which would examine the history and legacy of Canada’s Indian residential school system.

During an eight-year tenure, Sinclair and the commission heard devastating accounts of loss and abuse from thousands of school survivors. The commission also uncovered medical study records and reports of thousands of unmarked graves and undocumented deaths.

The commission’s final report included all 94 calls to action and remains a foundational document on the path to reconciliation.

Sinclair was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2016, a position he held for five years before retiring, despite it being a lifetime appointment. He said he wanted to continue work at the community level in matters of law and reconciliation.

Sinclair has received numerous awards and recognitions, including more than a dozen honorary degrees as well as the Order of Manitoba and the Order of Canada.

His memoir, “Who We Are: Four Questions for a Life and a Nation,” was recently published and shares the questions he asked about his own life and the questions he posed to his country.

“A kind, wise and generous soul”

Canada mourned the loss of the iconic leader.

Governor General Mary Simon, representative of the King of England in Canada, issued a statement of condolences.

“He leaves behind an invaluable legacy of shining a light on the stories of thousands of residential school survivors,” said Simon, an Inuk who is the first Indigenous person to serve as governor general.

“This defining moment in Canadian history gave rise to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, which initiated positive change for Indigenous communities in all spheres of society,” said Simon . “In 2022, I had the privilege of investing Senator Sinclair as a Companion of the Order of Canada for his life’s work. A kind, wise and generous soul, he had an exceptional ability to inspire people and touch hearts. On behalf of all Canadians, Whit and I offer our deepest condolences to the Sinclair family as they mourn the loss of a father and grandfather.

Simon continued: “As a nation, let us honor his memory and his sacrifice by continuing on the path of reconciliation. »

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, of the Pinaymootang First Nation and former Manitoba regional chief, said Sinclair’s legacy will live on.

“First Nations from coast to coast are grieving,” said Woodhouse Nepinak. “We are all devastated by the loss of Judge Sinclair. He was not only a formidable advocate for the rights of First Nations and all Indigenous peoples, but also a transformational force in the pursuit of reconciliation. It is Judge Sinclair’s leadership that has brought us this far on the path to reconciliation, and his example will continue to inspire this work for generations to come.

Acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs agrees.

“Today we mourn the loss of a hero whose vision and leadership continue to guide us,” said Kennedy, of War Lake First Nation. “The Honorable Murray Sinclair’s tireless commitment to justice and truth has left a lasting mark on our nations and communities, and we carry his light as we strive to improve our nations.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called Sinclair “a great Canadian, a great Manitoban, a great Anishinaabe.”

“His career constitutes a legacy of public service and a deep commitment to truth, fairness and dignity for all,” Kinew, the country’s first First Nations provincial premier, said in a statement.

“It will be a long time before our nation produces another person of Murray Sinclair’s caliber,” Kinew said. “He showed us that there is no reconciliation without truth. We must keep in mind his words that our nation is at the dawn of a great new era and that we must all “dare to live together.”

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