Vale Mizanay Gheezhik, The Honourable Murray Sinclair, C.C., O.M., M.S.C., K.C.
November 8, 2024
News Release – Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Territory
The Our Children Our Way Society deeply mourns the passing of The Honourable Murray Sinclair, C.C., O.M., M.S.C., K.C., Mizanay Gheezhik (“the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky” in Anishinaabemowin).
Mizanay Gheezhik was the example of kindness, compassion, deep love and truth-telling. He spent his life creating a new image of justice for Indigenous People in Canada and reminded us to honour the lives and legacies of the tens of thousands of Indigenous children taken from their homes and cultures, leaving both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people with a profound feeling of hope for a better future.
In 2021, legendary Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin produced “Honour to Senator Murray,” a beautiful, informative and moving film that opens with the World Federalist Movement presenting Canada’s 2016 World Peace Award to him for his work with the Truth & Reconciliation Commission.
“Getting to the truth was hard and time consuming. Getting to reconciliation is going to take generations, but it is important for us to do it. Because each and every one of us needs to understand it is no longer about us – it is about our children, our grandchildren, about those little ones,” said the Honourable Murray Sinclair in the film.
Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge, Mr. Sinclair was appointed Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 1988. In the same year, he was appointed co-commissioner of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry with Associate Chief Justice A. C. Hamilton. Their in-depth study produced almost three hundred recommendations and still impacts Canada’s justice system today.
In January 2001, Mr. Sinclair was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Manitoba and was the province’s first appointment of an Indigenous person to that court. During this appointment, , Justice Sinclair was approached to chair Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a request he initially declined due to the expected emotional toll. When the first TRC chair resigned and the other commissioners were replaced, Justice Sinclair was approached again, and agreed, to reconsider. In 2009, he was appointed as its chair, on the condition that the decision-making process move away from voting to consensus.
As the Chair of the TRC, Justice Sinclair was a key figure in raising global awareness of the atrocities of Canada’s residential school system. He was steadfast in his belief that the path to actual reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people requires understanding and accepting difficult truths about Canada’s past and present.
Upon completion of the TRC’s final report in 2015, Manitoba’s Indigenous community nominated Justice Sinclair for appointment to Canada’s Senate. He agreed and helped form the Independent Senators Group, and also sat on the Senate Standing Committees on Aboriginal/Indigenous Peoples, Fisheries and Oceans, Legal and Constitutional issues, Rules, Ethics and Conflicts of Interest.
Throughout his career, Mr. Sinclair filled the role of mediator, made numerous public appearances on matters relating to Indigenous issues and the Senate of Canada. He was asked to investigate the role of the Police Services Board of Thunder Bay, in light of allegations of systemic racism in policing in that community, resulting in a report that was finalized in October 2018.
Upon his passing, a teepee and sacred fire have gone up on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature. The flag on the Peace Tower will continue to be flown at half-mast until sunset on November 10, 2024, the day of the national commemorative ceremony.
Many leaders throughout Turtle Island have expressed their profound appreciation for the life of Mizanay Gheezhik, some of which include:
Dr. Cindy Blackstock of the Caring Society: “The Honourable Murray Sinclair always walked into dark places with a flashlight so that we can safely follow, (he was) a beam of light that cut through injustice and showed the way to hope.”
Dr. Judith Sayers, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council President: He became a voice – hard hitting, amazing how he made his point without breaking people … he could do that so well. The TRC had a huge impact – everybody operates on the TRC Calls to Action in every area. It has spawned reconciliation awards, it has put companies in different places, even BC Hydro has a reconciliation plan, so many things have arisen from that report. The Report set a new standard for reconciliation and working with Indigenous People in this country.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: With the Honourable Murray Sinclair’s passing, Canada has lost a giant. His commitment to this country, to the ideals of this country, to his commitment to Indigenous Peoples and all Canadians, was absolutely extraordinary. He will be missed from coast to coast to coast.”
The Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba: On a personal level, Mr. Sinclair has been there my entire life. He was a great Manitoban and Anishinabek who pursued Justice and advanced reconciliation with Indigenous People. His career stands as a legacy of public service and a deep commitment to truth, fairness and dignity for all people. The penultimate moment of his career was his work as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. He approached a process that could have been divisive and instead transformed it into Calls to Action for the future of our country, helping all Canadians to learn to walk together into a future of respect and understanding where we live up to the phrase residential school survivors taught us – Every Child Matters.”
Cadmus Delorme, former Chief of Cowessess First Nation: Murray allowed me to understand that we live in two beautiful worldviews in this country. Because we inherited a history together, sometimes it’s tough to balance both worlds, to succeed in both a Canadian world and an Indigenous world, the way that Murray spoke, the way that he talked about hope, it validated with me personally that I do belong in both worlds as it always should have been. From his teachings and from his words of encouragement about how we must all climb this mountain together; he helped to set the map to climb this mountain and how education is going to get us out of this moment. I will walk the rest of the time on this land with teachings that Murray left with me.”
A teepee stands in front of the Manitoba Legislative Building to shelter a sacred fire for the late Murray Sinclair. Photo: Jesse Andrushko/APTN News
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For further comment, please contact: Mary Teegee – Maaxswxw Gibuu, Chair, Our Children Our Way Society, Phone: 250-612-8710