23 Facts About Murray Sinclair

Murray Sinclair declined to seek reappointment, with his term expiring on June 30,2024.

Calvin Murray Sinclair was born on January 24,1951, and raised on the former St Peter's Indian Reserve in the Selkirk area north of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Murray Sinclair's parents were Henry and Florence Sinclair.

Murray Sinclair then worked at the Selkirk Friendship Centre as an administrator and youth worker and was elected vice president of the Manitoba Metis Federation for the Interlake Region in 1971.

In 1976, Murray Sinclair continued his academic career at the University of Winnipeg, studying sociology and history.

Murray Sinclair represented a cross-section of clients but was known for his representation of Aboriginal people and his knowledge of Aboriginal legal issues, having taught courses on Aboriginal People and the Law in the Department of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba since 1981.

Murray Sinclair served as legal counsel for the First Nations of Manitoba, representing them in the areas of land claims, legislative initiatives, funding negotiations and the negotiation of Child Welfare Agreements following the release of the Kimelman Report into Child Welfare in Manitoba.

Murray Sinclair acted as legal counsel for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.

Murray Sinclair was an adjunct professor of law and an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba.

Murray Sinclair was appointed associate chief judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba in March 1988, becoming the first Aboriginal judge in the province.

In November 2000, Murray Sinclair completed the "Report of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest", a study into the deaths of twelve children in the pediatric cardiac surgery program of the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre in 1994.

Murray Sinclair was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba in January 2001 and was the province's first Aboriginal person to be appointed a judge on that court.

Murray Sinclair was asked by leaders of Manitoba's Indigenous community to allow them to nominate him for an appointment to Canada's Senate, and with the support of his family, he agreed.

Murray Sinclair was appointed as a senator from Manitoba in April 2016.

Murray Sinclair acted as a mediator, made numerous public appearances on matters relating to Indigenous issues and the Senate of Canada, and was asked to investigate the role of the Police Services Board of Thunder Bay, Ontario, in the light of allegations of systemic racism in policing in that community.

Murray Sinclair was appointed the chair of Canada's Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission in June 2009.

Murray Sinclair was a Fourth Degree Midewiwin member of the Three Fires Society, a traditional Ojibway medicine society of great significance to the Ojibway people.

Murray Sinclair was named by Traditional Ojibway Teacher and Elder Onaubinisay.

Murray Sinclair had two children from his first marriage to Jeanette Warren.

Murray Sinclair was later married to Katherine Morrisseau-Sinclair and they had a daughter.

Additionally, the Murray Sinclair family adopted two daughters into the family.

Murray Sinclair died at St Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, on November 4,2024, at the age of 73.

Murray Sinclair was interred at Glen Eden Cemetery in Winnipeg.