The family of the late Murray Sinclair remember his life as being “a beacon of integrity and compassion” as they are joined by members of the public, the Canadian Governor General and prime minister during a commemorative service at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre to honour his legacy Sunday afternoon.
CBC News will be sharing special coverage of Sinclair’s memorial starting at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Sinclair, an Anishinaabe lawyer who was the first Indigenous person appointed as a judge in Manitoba and went on to become chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools and a senator, died early Monday morning in Winnipeg at the age of 73.
A member of Peguis First Nation, Sinclair was born in 1951, just north of Selkirk on what used to be the St. Peter’s reserve. His spirit name, Mazina Giizhik-iban, translates to “the one who speaks of pictures in the sky” in Anishinaabemowin.
“To us, our dad was a leader and teacher in our ceremonies; but we also recognize that for innumerable others, he was also a leader in political, business and legal communities. Today’s memorial service is a beautiful celebration of the depth and breadth of another side of his work: his lifelong commitment to human rights and justice, and his relentless pursuit of the truth,” his family said in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier this week, the province and federal government announced plans for a service — the first national commemorative ceremony honouring an Indigenous leader — which will take place at the downtown Winnipeg arena starting at 2 p.m. CT. The doors opened to the public at 1 p.m. CT.
Sinclair was laid to rest on Thursday and given full Midewiwin funerary rites as the Western Doorway Chief and Road Chief of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge, his family’s statement said.
“He called upon us to be kind to one another; to support young people in their search to know who they are and where they come from; and to believe in truth and justice. As we carry his memory forward, we are humbled by the love and respect shown to him, and we thank all who have honoured his legacy with us,” Sinclair’s family said.
Sinclair served as the co-commissioner of Manitoba’s 1988 Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, which highlighted the need to take Indigenous offenders’ history into account when sentencing.
Marie Wilson, who served as one of the co-commissioners of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with Sinclair, said Canada doesn’t have a long history of recognizing Indigenous greatness, but she thinks it’s extraordinary that Sinclair is being properly honoured in a way that the whole country can become aware of his legacy.
“I’m not afraid that if we lose Murray there’ll be a big hole that no one else will fill. What I think is important to remember about his extraordinary life and professional contributions is that he was the first in so many areas, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be the last,” Wilson said at the Canada Life Centre.
Senator Marilou McPhedran said she’s heard Sinclair say, on many occasions, to pick one of the 94 TRC calls to action and “do whatever you can as an individual to make that happen for all of Canada.”
“I think that underscored for many of us that we do need to work collectively, but we also need to commit on an individual level and this makes it possible,” McPhedran said at the arena before the service began.
Governor General to speak
Mary Simon, Canada’s first Inuk Governor General, told CBC Sinclair led Canada with kindness and in a forward-looking way that gave people hope — one of the many reasons she enjoyed working with him.
“When I say he was a very wise man, I think he paved the way for many of the things that we’re dealing with today and he uncovered a lot of injustices in the system that had to be revealed in order to, you know, work and fix issues that have affected Indigenous people so much,” she said.
The Governor General remembers Sinclair giving her a hug while telling her she “was going to be alright” after she got emotional while telling her story about residential schools during a Truth and Reconciliation Commission event in Edmonton.
She also had the privilege to invest Sinclair as Companion of the Order of Canada for his life’s work two years ago.
Governor General Simon will attend the service and deliver remarks to honour his life at the ceremony on Sunday.
Ry Moran, who was founding director for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, said he cherished listening to Sinclair during Truth and Reconciliation Commission events where commissioners would hear “heartbreaking content” and the “painful truths” of residential school survivors.
“Murray had this incredible ability to stand up and to make something beautiful out of all of that pain that we heard — something inspiring, something that filled every single person in that room with a profound sense of hope and optimism that we can indeed overcome these massive historical wrongs,” Moran said during an interview with CBC.
The office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday evening that he would pay his respects at the ceremony alongside other government officials, dignitaries and Sinclair’s friends and family.
There will also be musical performances by Red River Métis fiddler Morgan Grace, singer-songwriter William Prince from Peguis First Nation, Cree and Salish musician Fawn Wood and Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee.
Books of condolences will be available for people to sign at the memorial. A book of condolences has also been made available to sign at the Manitoba Legislative Building, where it can be signed until 8 p.m. Sunday.
Flags at the legislative building in Winnipeg and Parliament building in Ottawa will remain at half-mast until after the memorial on Sunday.