Murray Sinclair has passed at 73

Murray Sinclair, the groundbreaking Indigenous lawyer who led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has died. Sinclair, whose spirit name is Mizhana Gheezhik (The One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky), died early this morning in a Winnipeg Hospital, where he was surrounded by family. Kenneth Deer had a long professional relationship and friendship with Sinclair:

“He was always a wonderful person, seeped in his teachings and in tradition and he was a really good thinker. He was a wonderful person to talk to. He was always a very, very strong advocate of the rights of Indigenous peoples and he found himself in theses positions of having an impact on Indigenous peoples.”

Sinclair helped to expose racial injustice and redefined how Canadians see residential schools. A sacred fire will be lit in his honour on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature. Sinclair was 73.