We at Roots of Empathy are deeply saddened by the passing of His Honour Justice Murray Sinclair, spirit name Mazina Giizhik (the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky). A proud Anishinaabe and member of the Peguis First Nation, he was raised by his Cree grandfather, Jim Sinclair, and Ojibway grandmother, Catherine Sinclair, after losing his mother at a young age.
Justice Sinclair showed incredible resilience in the face of prejudice, becoming a leading voice for Indigenous rights and justice in Canada. As Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, his landmark work continues to compel Canada to confront the profound historical injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples. He was a tireless champion for transforming the justice system, particularly in its treatment of Indigenous defendants.
His legacy includes the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report (TRC), a document of important truths and 94 Calls to Action—a framework for healing and reconciling with Indigenous communities. The TRC is a stunning apology to Indigenous peoples for policies that allowed the government to remove Indigenous children from their homes, sometimes by force, and put them in church-run Residential Schools, sometimes far from their homes. In these Residential schools, children were denied access to their language, their culture, and their families – causing generational trauma from which families are still recovering. The TRC brought the stories of the survivors into the living rooms of the nation. Justice Sinclair was a witness for the hundreds of harrowing stories from the Residential school survivors.
Roots of Empathy was honoured to present Justice Sinclair with our first Social Justice Award in 2021. His impact in fostering empathy across Canada is profound, having inspired millions to recognize and address the historical and ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples. In his acceptance speech, he emphasized the importance of nurturing empathy in children – to grow together to build relationships that support and sustain us—relationships that were tragically taken from Indigenous communities through residential schools and other oppressive policies. [Watch his acceptance speech here.]
Justice Sinclair understood that education is central to reconciliation, famously stating, “Education got us into this mess, and education will get us out of it.”
Justice Sinclair was a true seeker, a knowledge sharer, and a human bridge to understanding and empathy. We are profoundly grateful for his enduring impact.
We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and his Peoples.
Read more about his life and accomplishments here, the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Report and the 94 Calls to Action.
To honour his journey, a sacred fire has been lit outside the Manitoba legislature, and his family has respectfully requested that no other fires be lit across the country.