In 2018, the Tommy Douglas Institute at George Brown College in Toronto welcomed then Senator and former head of the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada, the Honourable Murray Sinclair as its keynote speaker.
Through his poignant address about the impacts of Canada’s colonial history and the residential school system on the lives of Indigenous Peoples and the meaning of reconciliation, we experienced first-hand the brilliance, integrity, kindness and humour of this truly remarkable individual.
The Honourable Murray Sinclair passed away on the morning of November 4, 2024.
In his memory, we bring you his 2018 keynote address on Community, Education, Change: Indigenous Ways of Knowing.
Reflecting on reconciliation, Sinclair said:
“Reconciliation is a process which is building. It’s not a spectator sport. It involves everybody. And everybody is implicated in it .. No neutrality exists here. .. And understanding it is part of the educational process. And understanding the implications it has for you is part of the challenge that we also need to face. And all of that has to do with knowledge. All of that has to do with dialogue as well, and developing consensus and agreement about where we’re going to go as a country… We have to talk about what kind of relationship we’re going to have going forward. . And that means we have to think differently. We have to think better. ”
rabble.ca had previously shared Sinclair’s keynote address here.
About today’s speaker:
The Honourable Murray Sinclair served the justice system in Manitoba for over 25 years. He was the first Indigenous Judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second.
Sinclair was Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the issuance of the TRC’s final report in 2015 and its 94 Calls to Action. He also oversaw an active multi-million dollar fundraising program to support various TRC events and activities.
Over the years, Sinclair has been invited to speak throughout Canada, the United States and internationally, including the Cambridge Lectures for members of the Judiciary of various Commonwealth Courts in England.
He served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Manitoba. In 2021, Sinclair was appointed 15th Chancellor of Queen’s University, later becoming Chancellor Emeritus and Special Advisor to the Principal on Reconciliation of Queen’s University in 2024.
Sinclair has received numerous awards and honours, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, The Mahatma Gandhi Prize for Peace, the Mandela Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award and its Distinguished Service Award, Canada’s World Peace Prize, and the Meritorius Service Cross. He has also received honorary doctorates and degrees from universities across Canada.
Sinclair was appointed to the Canadian Senate on April 2, 2016 where he served as a Senator for five years. In 2022 Murray Sinclair was appointed a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba in 2024.
Most recently Sinclair published his memoir, Who We Are: Four Questions for a Life and a Nation.
The Honourable Murray Sinclair passed away peacefully and surrounded by his loved ones on November 4th, 2024.
In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the Murray Sinclair Memorial Fund at the Winnipeg Foundation.
About this series
Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute or here.
Image: The Honourable Murray Sinclair / Used with permission.
Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.
Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy)
Courage My Friends Podcast Organizing Committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.
Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca.
Original Editing and Recording by: Victoria Fenner and Emily Parr
Host: Resh Budhu.
