Murray Sinclair was a great one of us.

Murray Sinclair was a humble man.

When he had completed the work of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Murray Sinclair said: “We have described for you a mountain. We have shown for you the way to the top. We call on you to do the climbing.”
 
This was Murray Sinclair’s challenge for the country. After the commission had listened to the difficult stories of the survivors of the Residential Schools and their families, he set out in simple, and non-vindicative terms what this country should continue to work hard to achieve, in a word “respect.”
 
This week the late Sinclair was honored at a commemorative ceremony that would not have been likely in two other wealthy countries with large indigenous populations, Australia and the U.S.A. Those two nations have been at best aggressive or at worst genocidal to their First Peoples. On the other hand, one other country, New Zealand, has done as much or more than Canada in reconciling with its First Peoples. And Murray Sinclair has done more than any other Canadian in helping this country improve its record.

An Anishinaabe and member of the Perguis First Nation, Sinclair was raised by his grand parents, Jim and Catherine Sinclair in Manitoba. Murray was both the Valedictorian of his high school class and Athlete of the Year in 1968. He went on to train as a lawyer and became Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge.
 
His stature in advancing the cause of First Peoples was soon acknowledged further across the country, and he was named Chancellor of Queens University, in Kingston, Ont. Leaving that ceremonial position, he was named commissioner of the TRC, which was modelled after Nelson Mandella’s commission by the same name in South Africa. After six years of service on the TRC he was appointed to the Canadian Senate where he served until his retirement in 2021, and joined a Winnipeg law firm. He died Monday at the age of 73.
 
His approach speaks to all Canadians, including those among us who are growing tired of the stories of the residential schools, the dirty chapter in the history of “Canada the good” the chapter that is so difficult to swallow, but one that is real and shameful. Sinclair believed that the truth about that chapter had to be told and heard before reconciliation could begin in earnest.
 
The three commissioners of the Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission were, Dr. Marie Wilson, Justice Murray Sinclair, and Chief Wilton Littlechild. In their six years of work, the Commissioners heard from more than 6,500 witnesses.

They listened to the stories about young First Nations children who were taken out of their families and communities, losing their traditional languages, culture, siblings, and parents. There was horrific abuse and inadequate health care, such that too many students died of diseases like tuberculosis and were buried in unmarked graves on the site of their residential school.
 
Sinclair knew what he would be getting into when he first turned down the job of chair of the TRC, and then later accepted it, fully understanding what came with it, sitting long into the night listening to the grim, emotional, stories of survivors and family members, all of which took a toll on him.
 
The symbolic mantle of Murray Sinclair’s leadership now rests with his son, Nigaan, redoubtable broadcaster, professor, writer, and now, family leader who served as emcee for the observance for Murray.
 
The family had been offered an elaborate state funeral by the federal government but chose instead to organize this week’s observance themselves.
 
The ceremony was simple and dignified. Every speaker and musical performer wore a Remembrance Day poppy.
 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke and did not use this as an opportunity to make political points. He said: “Murray has brought us together. He has brought our whole country together.”
 
The Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew, and the country’s first Indigenous Premier, has recently been given the highest public approval ratings of all the country’s First Ministers. One of his strengths has been treating all Manitobans and Canadians as one, a lesson for leaders in all provinces and the nation.
 
Kinew began his appearance at the observance with a dramatic spiritual song from the podium.
 
Murray Sinclair was Kinew’s mentor, and the Premier visited Sinclair often while he was in hospital.
 
Kinew related that even when Sinclair was on his death bed, the grand older man kept his legendary good humor, telling Kinew who had just given him a sip of water, some of it dribbling out of his mouth:
 
“You know what I’m having a really tough time accepting is that the Premier just wiped my chin.”
 
Music was a very important part of the observance.
 
Morgan Grace, the distinguished Metis fiddler, dressed in a simple, long black dress, performed with guitarist Tom Dutiaume, including the mournful Tear Drop Waltz.
 
Singer William Prince, with Sinclair also a member of the Peguis First Nation, showed with the lyric of his beautiful song “7” that there are lessons for all of humanity stemming from the observance:  
 
                             "When you're lookin' far into the future,
                               Don't forget how far you've already come."
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