Honouring The Legacy Of Murray Sinclair
On November 4, 2024, our nation faced a tremendous loss when the Honourable Murray Sinclair made his journey to the spirit world at the age of 73.
Although hearts are heavy with his passing, our time of mourning has been one of deep and profound reflection on the magnitude of his life’s work as a lawyer, judge, senator, and more notably as the co-chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
Born Calvin Murray Sinclair, he was a member of the fish clan, and grew up on the former St. Peter’s Indian Reserve in the Selkirk area north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. A proud Ojibwe speaker, his Anishinaabe name, Mi-zhana-Gheezhik, means, “the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky,” aptly describes his visionary purpose in life.
Throughout his legal career, he advocated to protect Indigenous rights through addressing systemic anti-Indigenous racism within the justice system, and health reform in Manitoba; and as the first Indigenous person to be named to the Manitoba provincial court and the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba, and the second Indigenous judge in Canada, he became a trusted voice for Indigenous Peoples. As a steward of truth, he upheld the oral traditions of Indigenous culture to teach our cultural history, traveling the country over a span of six years, and giving thousands of survivors with a safe space to accurately recount their lived experiences during their time in residential schools, Day Schools, and the Sixties Scoop.
This dedicated mission ensured the Indigenous perspective was recorded, heard, and acknowledged by all Canadians, while also holding the federal government accountable for their part in supporting the cultural genocide of Canada’s First Peoples. These testimonials laid bare for the groundbreaking 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports, and the development of the 94 Calls to Action.
There is no doubt that his legacy will be synonymous with the enormous impact he has had on the survivors and their families. For those who knew him personally, and those who had the honor to meet and work alongside him, Justice Sinclair was known as a compassionate connector and a formidable and fearless advocate. To his family, he was a father to his five children, grandfather to seven great grandchildren, and loving life partner to his wife, Katherine Morrisseau-Sinclair, an Anishinaabek artist and educator, who passed away in June 2024.
Not only has his work generated discussion and debate – and with it, those who deny the horrific historical truths of residential schools – but the TRC has provided change in how Indigenous history is taught in our schools, allowing the Indigenous Perspective to be truthfully seen, heard, and understood. Murray Sinclair’s work has helped many of us to develop compassion within this time of transformation, understanding there is pain from all perspectives; but there is an opportunity for understanding and finally, healing.
The TRC and the 94 Calls to Action act as our foundation to rebuild Canada’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples, and to move forward in our collective pursuit of advancing reconciliation. How Murray Sinclair’s legacy continues is up to us, and we must remember that we are individually responsible to educate ourselves on the historical truths, to strive for empathy and compassion for all people, and to inspire positive change for generations to come.
“There is still much work to do. Canada is still infected with a great deal of racism that influences policy and attitudes and undermines attempts for change.
But we need to see that the country has learned some things and needs to continue on this path.”
“We have described for you a mountain. We have shown you the way to the top. We call upon you to do the climbing.”
~ The Honourable Mi-zhana-Gheezhik, Murray Sinclair.
Rest in Power, Mi-zhana-Gheezhik
The rest is up to us.