AMC Extends Condolences in the Passing of The Honourable Murray Sinclair

November 4, 2024

Treaty One Territory, Manitoba

AMC Communications

Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg—With profound disappointment, the Meeting of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) proclaims the passing of the Honourable Murray Sinclair. He started his journey to the spirit world final evening, surrounded by family members. His lifelong dedication to justice, reality, and the advocacy of Indigenous rights has made him an icon of power and resilience inside our nations.

Murray Sinclair was a trailblazer who made historical past as the primary Indigenous decide in Manitoba and the second in Canada, serving from 1988 to 2009. All through his tenure, he practiced primarily in Aboriginal legislation and civil and prison litigation, utilizing his platform to uplift and shield First Nations rights and dignity.

His position as Chair of the Reality and Reconciliation Fee (TRC) from 2009 to 2015 marked a turning level for the nation. Beneath his management, the TRC documented the painful historical past of residential faculties in Canada and charted a path towards therapeutic and reconciliation. His work sparked crucial conversations and reforms that proceed to resonate deeply with First Nations and Canadians alike.

In 2016, Sinclair was appointed to the Canadian Senate, the place he championed justice and equality, amplifying Indigenous voices in areas the place they had been traditionally underrepresented. His management prolonged into his position because the fifteenth Chancellor of Queen’s College and as Normal Counsel at Cochrane Saxberg LLP, Manitoba’s largest Indigenous legislation agency.

“As we speak, we mourn the lack of a hero whose imaginative and prescient and management proceed to information us ahead. The Honourable Murray Sinclair’s tireless dedication to justice and reality has left a everlasting mark on our nations and communities, and we feature his mild as we try for the betterment of our Nations,” says Performing Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy.

Murray Sinclair’s journey in advocacy broke boundaries and impressed numerous people to pursue reform and justice with braveness and willpower. His teachings will proceed to encourage future generations, and his voice—although not with us—will echo by means of his monumental contributions.

Sinclair now joins his beloved spouse, Katherine Sinclair, who made her journey dwelling this previous June. The AMC finds consolation in understanding they’re reunited as soon as extra.

The Meeting of Manitoba Chiefs extends our deepest condolences to his household, buddies, and all these whose lives had been touched by his spirit and unwavering dedication. His legacy will endure as we honour his reminiscence and proceed his work.

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For extra data, please contact:

Communications Staff
Meeting of Manitoba Chiefs
Electronic mail:  [email protected] 

In regards to the Meeting of Manitoba Chiefs

The AMC was fashioned in 1988 by the Chiefs in Manitoba to advocate on points that generally have an effect on First Nations in Manitoba. AMC is a licensed consultant of all 63 First Nations in Manitoba with a complete of greater than 172,000 First Nations residents within the province, accounting for about 12 p.c of the provincial inhabitants. AMC represents a variety of Anishinaabe, Nehetho / Ininew, Anisininew, Denesuline, and Dakota Oyate peoples.