A pillar in Canada’s history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.
Born in 1951 near Selkirk, Man., Sinclair was a member of Peguis First Nation. As an Anishinaabe lawyer, he moved on to become Manitoba’s first Indigenous justice and only the second in all of Canada.
He served as a senator and chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), listening to stories of residential school survivors to develop 94 calls to action.
He died Monday in a Winnipeg hospital at the age of 73.
Sinclair’s family remembers him as “a beacon of integrity and compassion,” serving a country he loved, even if it meant shining a light on its dark past.
During the national commemorative ceremony Sunday, Sinclair’s son, Niigaan Sinclair, emphasized his father’s lasting legacy.
“Few people have shaped this country in the way that my father has, and few people can say they changed the course of this country the way that my father had to put us on a better path,” Niigaan said. “He is, in many ways, the epitome of all of us: the good, the bad, the great, all of the parts that come together to this place.”
Niigaan also asked those who use Sinclair’s spirit name – Mazina Giizhik-iban, which means “the one who speaks of pictures in the sky” – to attach “that small ‘iban’ at the end of his name because that is the recognition that he is now an ancestor.”
In a statement shared by the family hours earlier, they said Sinclair was given full Midewiwin funerary rites as the Western Doorway Chief and Road Chief of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge on Thursday.
“It’s also a very joyous time for us because we know that my father is on a journey right now to see beautiful people,” Niigaan said during the memorial.
Niigaan also read an excerpt from a speech his father gave during his career, sharing a message that continues to resonate with the country today.
“Keep trying. Dream. Dream always because you have been given the gift to do that,” Niigaan said.
Among his many accomplishments and accolades, Sinclair also took pride in being a grandfather, or “mushum,” and took the opportunity to immerse his family members in their Indigenous culture.
“Mushum made sure I knew where I came from,” said his granddaughter Sarah Fontaine-Sinclair. “It was his mission throughout his entire life.”
“Mushum was more than just his work,” she continued. “He was a father, a deeply funny and caring friend, an uncle to many, an always-pranking son, a nephew, and a fiercely loving grandfather in the last few years of his life.”
Governor general, prime minister pay tribute to late senator
Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon took the podium at Sunday’s ceremony, speaking about her time working with Sinclair during his time as chair of the TRC.
Simon described Sinclair as a trailblazer and “a person of profound wisdom gained from his academic background and his cultural knowledge.”
“He was held in high regard by all Canadians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous,” she said, adding Sinclair had “ a heart brave enough to expose injustices, yet generous enough to make everyone around him feel welcome and important.”
Simon added Sinclair challenged Canadians to be truthful and to honour the beauty and importance of Indigenous cultures, languages, oral histories, knowledge and governance systems, “to learn from the past and work together towards a more equitable future.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about the first time he met Sinclair, on the day the TRC report was released. At the time, Trudeau said he was new to his role and “very much feeling the weight of the responsibility the Canadians had just entrusted” in him.
“Murray always thoughtfully listened even when he disagreed and he did so with his signature smile – a smile I’d get to know well over the course of many, many meetings and discussions,” Trudeau recalled.
Trudeau also called Sinclair “a friend who challenged me to always do better.”
‘Murray learned to love us’: Manitoba premier
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the late senator stood by him throughout the highs and lows of his political career.
Kinew recalled a time six years ago when he considered quitting politics because he was feeling burnt out and an election win seemed out of reach.
“Murray Sinclair sat at my kitchen table and he explained to me how he once felt the same way as a young judge … but instead, he stayed true to his vision and it was all worth it,” Kinew said.
Kinew added Sinclair passed on advice that resonated beyond the landscape of a new government: “Learn to love the people even when they don’t love you.”
“Over his great life, Murray learned to love us, all of us,” Kinew said. “He showed that with the TRC and everything he did, he loved the people, all the people.”