'He gave people hope': Northerners remember former lawyer and senator Murray Sinclair

People in the North are remembering renowned senator and lawyer Murray Sinclair for his contributions to the territories and his work to bring the stories of residential school survivors to light. 

Sinclair died at a Winnipeg hospital early Monday morning at the age of 73.

His legacy can be seen and felt across the country, including in the North where he made several visits including during his time as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

Yukon Commissioner Adeline Webber attended the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in Whitehorse in 2013. She was there to tell her story as a residential school survivor.

Sinclair met with thousands of survivors during his work as chair of the TRC. 

"He could walk into a room and have the attention of everyone," Webber said. "He just had such a presence."

Webber said during the Whitehorse hearings, Sinclair listened to survivors and their families in a way that made them feel heard. 

"He gave people hope that their stories were listened to, that they were understood," she said. 

George Mackenzie, Dene national chief in the N.W.T., said Sinclair "impacted the North greatly."

"A lot of us went to residential school, our parents went to residential school," Mackenzie said. "It's a hard story to tell."

Mackenzie said Sinclair spoke from the heart. 

"When he speaks, people listen. He makes people move through his words when he talks. This was so much needed," Mackenzie said. 

Garth Wallbridge, a Métis lawyer in Yellowknife, said he remembers Sinclair as "a very great man." 

"He really deserved that honorific, the honourable," he said. 

Wallbridge said Sinclair's work is why people are aware of the 94 recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

"As much as he thought about reconciliation, he wanted the truth to be out there," he said. 

Math'ieya Alatini, former Kluane First Nation chief, also met Sinclair when he visited the Yukon. 

Alatini said she's reflecting on the "power of one person to really stand up and be that strong voice for Indigenous people in Canada."

She said she hopes others carry on his work, specifically on the 94 calls to action included in the TRC's final report. 

"Every individual has a responsibility to look at that report," she said. "Educate yourself on that work."

Piita Irniq, a former Nunavut commissioner, served as the TRC's Inuit cultural adviser for three years, and worked closely with Sinclair. 

"He had a great deal of love and compassion, caring and respect for Indigenous people, because he worked very hard for the Indigenous people, as well as our parents, who were left behind when we were forcibly taken away by the church and the government of Canada," Irniq said.