Canada: Indigenous Judge Murray Sinclair Passes Away

Facts

• Murray Sinclair, Manitoba's first Indigenous judge and former senator who led Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), passed away aged 73 on Monday.^[1][2]
• Sinclair was born on a reservation and raised by his grandparents, both of whom were forced into government-funded residential schools, which were created to assimilate Indigenous children into non-Indigenous society.^[3]
• During his time leading the TRC, Sinclair estimated that over 4.1K — and possibly up to 15K — Indigenous children died due to neglect in the country's residential school system in what he alleged to be a "cultural genocide."^[4]
• Prior to chairing the TRC, he co-chaired the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry to investigate alleged systemic injustices against Indigenous people in Manitoba’s legal system and led the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest into the deaths of 12 children in Winnipeg.^[2]
• In response to the news, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called Sinclair "one of the key architects of the era of reconciliation," while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called him a "giant" who lived an "extraordinary life filled with achievements."^[5][6]

Sources: ^[1]CBC, ^[2]National Post, ^[3]BBC News, ^[4]The Guardian, ^[5]Global News and ^[6]The Hill Times.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by TNC. Sinclair's passing is tragic and his impact is unquestionable. However, there must be an honest assessment of the depiction surrounding Indigenous schools. Sinclair had a biased and flawed approach not only to historical numbers of students but also to characterizing the impacts on society. It's valid to question whether the Truth and Reconciliation community has in fact contributed to polarization in Canada and has actually set Indigenous communities back.
• Left narrative, as provided by Archive. Sinclair was a leader for all Canadians, which is why he not only sought to shine a light on injustice but also worked to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians together to reconcile injustices of the past. While the country still mourns the past, and not all of the commission's calls to action have been implemented, Sinclair's memory will inspire the country to finish the job. Murray's passing should motivate the country towards more social equality.