Tansi Nîtôtemtik,
On January 31st, 2021, Senator Murray Sinclair served his last day as a member of the Senate. Today ReconciliAction YEG would like to celebrate his accomplishments and look forward to the impact he will continue to have as he enters the next phase of his career.
(Image credit: Dalhousie University, https://www.dal.ca/news/2018/08/08/belong-forum-preview--5-things-you-should-know-about-senator-mur.html)
The Honorable Murray Sinclair, or Mizanay (Mizhana) Gheezhik (“The One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky”) was born and raised on the former St. Peter's Indian Reserve, north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is Ojibwe and is a member of the Peguis First Nation. [1] Sinclair was raised by his grandparents and graduated as valedictorian of his high school class.
Upon graduation, Sinclair returned home to take care of his grandmother for two years before attending university. He enrolled in the Faculty of Law at Robson Hall in 1976, where he continued to receive accolades for high achievement. In 1980, Sinclair was called to the Manitoba Bar. His practice focused on civil and criminal litigation, Indigenous law and human rights.
While he eventually became renowned for his expertise, Sinclair faced racism inside and outside the courtroom for his Indigenous heritage. Sinclair used these experiences to challenge racist stereotypes and advocate for Indigenous peoples by partnering with organizations like the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Métis Federation.
After being asked repeatedly, Sinclair first became the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba at age 37. [2] He then became the Associate Chief Justice of the Manitoba Provincial Court, where he commissioned multiple important reports shed light on issues that impacted the lives of marginalized people. In 1999, Justice Sinclair (as he then was) co-commissioned the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry which inquired into the deaths of Helen Betty Osborne and John Joseph Harper and detailed systemic racism faced by Indigenous peoples. Justice Sinclair also headed the inquiry of the deaths of twelve children in the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest, which produced its report in 2000. In 2001, Justice Sinclair was then appointed to the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench.
As many readers may know, Justice Sinclair was appointed as Co-Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was formed by the Canadian government as part of the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, but the first commission board stepped down in 2008. [3] Sinclair had actually removed his name from the list of potential chairs in 2007, as his grandparents were residential school survivors and he was concerned about the emotional toll of heading the commission.[4] Never one to shy away from a difficult decision, Senator Sinclair agreed to chair the Commission in 2009. As we know, Senator Sinclair took his position as co-chair of the TRC with utmost care and grace, and continues to be vocal about reconciliation and the Calls to Action five years later.
In 2016, the Honorable Murray Sinclair was appointed to the Senate. He is the 16th Indigenous member of the Canadian Senate, and during his tenure remained a fierce advocate for Indigenous peoples. For example, he chaired an investigation into the Thunder Bay Police Services Board in response to systemic racism within the police force in 2017.[5]
So, what’s next for the Honorable Murray Sinclair? He has taken a position as general counsel for the largest Indigenous law firm in Manitoba, Cochrane Saxberg LLP. He hopes to mentor the next generation of lawyers and is also writing his memoir, which will chronicle his truly amazing life story and will no doubt inspire Canadians for generations to come. [6]
Thank you for reading!
Until next time,
Team ReconciliAction YEG
1Michael John Simpson, “Murray Sinclair” (2 Feb 2021) online: The Canadian Encyclopedia <www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/murray-sinclair>.
2Ibid.
3CBC News, “Chairman quits troubled residential-school commission” CBC News (20 Oct 2008) online: <www.cbc.ca/news/canada/chairman-quits-troubled-residential-school-commission-1.704043>.
4Canadian Encyclopedia, supra note 1.
5Senator Murray Sinclair, “Thunder Bay Police Services Board Investigation - FINAL REPORT” (1 Nov 2018), online (pdf): <tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ocpc/TBPSB_Investigation_Final_Report_-_EN-FINAL-1.pdf>.
6Ross Andersen, “Mentoring Indigenous lawyers among Sen. Sinclair’s retirement plans” CTV News (1 Feb 2021), online: <www.ctvnews.ca/politics/mentoring-indigenous-lawyers-among-sen-sinclair-s-retirement-plans-1.5288828>.
-----
To receive daily alerts to the blog, sign up here
Be sure to stay up to date on other happenings with ReconciliAction YEG:
Follow us on Twitter at:@ReconciliYEG
Connect with us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/reconciliActionYEG/
Check out our Instagram at: @reconciliactionyeg
-----
