'Keep trying. Dream': The life and message of Murray Sinclair honoured at memorial service
Family, friends, dignitaries celebrated the late Murray Sinclair in Winnipeg Sunday
The family of the late Murray Sinclair remembered his life as being "a beacon of integrity and compassion" as they were 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.
Murray 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, Murray 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," his family said in a statement on Sunday.
'Put us on a better path': Niigaan Sinclair
Speaking at the beginning of the ceremony, Murray Sinclair's son Niigaan Sinclair said his father cared for people for so long, but Sunday was for those in attendance to care for him.
"Few people have shaped this country in the way that my father has," said Niigaan. "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," he said.
"Whether you are new to this place, or whether you have been here since time immemorial, from the beginning — all of us have been touched by him in some way."
Niigaan also asked those who use Sinclair's spirit name — Mazina Giizhik-iban — to attach "that small 'iban' at the end of his name because that is the recognition that he is now an ancestor."
"An ancestor that is doing that work on that side for all of us," explained Niigaan. "And if you're able to if you remember, if you could do that work, because when he hears his name, he may be tempted to come back to this side."
"But in our ceremonies it is the most joyous time, because he is going to his relatives."
Niigaan also made a "confession" about being angry at the country after watching his father spend "a lifetime dealing with this country's racism, division, violence and genocidal acts."
"I'm angry that he was often the lone voice of dignity against a wall of callousness," said Niigaan. "And that he would work often with leaders who would treat human beings so poorly."
His father didn't get to do the things he loved, like carpentry, and "he missed most of our lives as we gifted him to a country who didn't always treat him as a gift," Niigaan said.
Niigaan said he confessed his anger not because he's "over it," but because people his age and younger have watched their parents "spend their lifetimes fighting racism and violence and genocide."
He knows people were doing that so there would be safe places to live, clean water to drink and languages to speak, Niigaan said. As a parent, he can see why his father "did what he did."
He also recalled speaking to his father in the hospital, who kept reminding him to take care of himself.
But even through the hard times his father experienced on the road or in remembering the stories told to him, Niigaan said his father's reason for why he poured so much of himself into his work was simple.
"You know what he told me? He said just simply, 'I was called.'"
Governor General, prime minister 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.
"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.
Simon remembers Sinclair giving her a hug and saying she "was going to be all right" after she got emotional while telling her residential school story 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.
During her speech Sunday, Simon said Sinclair had a "heart brave enough to expose injustices, yet generous enough to make everyone around him feel welcome and important."
At Sunday's service, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recalled meeting Sinclair nine years ago, when he was about a month into his job and "very much feeling the weight of responsibility Canadians had entrusted him."
That day was the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, Trudeau told those in attendance.
Over the years Sinclair became a wise teacher, trusted confidant, insightful elder and a friend who always challenged him to do better, Trudeau said.
"He knew that progress is only made when you meet people where they're at and bring them along," he said. "When you encourage them to open their mind, think critically and ask tough questions about who we are.
"That's what Murray believed, that's who Murray was," Trudeau said.
Sinclair encouraged Kinew not to give up on politics
In his remarks Sunday, Niigaan Sinclair said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew was on a list of people his father wanted to spend some of his final moments with, and Kinew had been there for his father for "many, many years."
When the NDP government was sworn in in 2023, Murray Sinclair presided over the ceremony, and called it "Manitoba's true act of reconciliation," Niigaan said.
Niigaan said it was one of the proudest moments of his father's life.
"And something he had never thought he would see before, which was the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province," he said.
Addressing the crowd Sunday, Kinew said Sinclair was there for every step of his political journey, including a time when he nearly walked away from politics. Six years ago, Kinew told Sinclair he thought he could do more good outside the legislature than inside.
"I was feeling burnt out, the idea of winning an election seemed so far away," Kinew told the crowd. "Murray Sinclair sat at my kitchen table and he explained to me how he felt the same way as a young judge.
"How he'd thought of quitting, that he thought maybe he'd do more as a lawyer and an activist," said Kinew. "But instead he stayed true to his vision, and it was all worth it, he said."
Kinew also recalled his government's swearing-in ceremony in 2023, reflecting on Sinclair's advice that "you have to learn to love the people, even when they don't love you."
"But I have to say in the days since Murray drew his final breath, I've reflected that it's not just good advice for leaders, that is good advice for life," said Kinew. "Learn to love your neighbour even when they do not love you. Learn to love the person who hurt you, who caused you pain. Learn to love your children, even when they push you to your limits and beyond.
"And over his great life, Murray learned to love us," said Kinew. "All of us."
National commemorative ceremony
Earlier this week, the province and federal government had announced plans for the service — the first national commemorative ceremony honouring an Indigenous leader — which began at the downtown Winnipeg arena starting at around 2 p.m. CT Sunday.
The service also included 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.
"This may be the honour of my life to be here with you all today as family, as friends celebrating the work of this great person," Prince said before his performance Sunday.
Murray 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.
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.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy said at the service that for her and so many residential school survivors, the TRC was an opportunity "for our truth to be heard and validating," giving them a platform to speak and be listened to by the country and world.
"And Murray Sinclair stood as our guide, our protector and our voice," said Kennedy.
Flanked by a number of chiefs, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse said "we are all incredibly grateful that Justice Sinclair dedicated his life to fight for us so brilliantly."
"As a First Nations woman growing up in this country — and many of us that are here — we feel so grateful that we were able to cross paths with him," she said. "Many of us are younger leaders and we have to continue that work together."
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.
Murray Sinclair also 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.
Books of condolences were available for people to sign at the memorial. A book of condolences was also made available to sign until 8 p.m. Sunday at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Flags at the legislative building in Winnipeg and Parliament building in Ottawa remained at half-mast until after the memorial on Sunday.
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With files from Brittany Greenslade