Murray Sinclair was a Senator, judge and university chancellor. But his greatest contribution was as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early-2010s. This is the story of a lifelong champion of Indigenous rights. 🧵 1/12 - ThreadSky

cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social • 5 days ago

Murray Sinclair was a Senator, judge and university chancellor.
But his greatest contribution was as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the early-2010s.
This is the story of a lifelong champion of Indigenous rights.

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llyrkellow.bsky.social•5 days ago

Hero!

cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•5 days ago

Murray Sinclair was born on Jan. 24, 1951 in Selkirk, Manitoba. Raised on the St. Peter's Reserve, he was his class valedictorian and Athlete of the Year at his high school in 1968.
He attended the University of Manitoba but left to care for his grandparents.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•5 days ago

In 1971, while working at the Selkirk Friendship Centre, he was elected vice president of the Manitoba Metis Federation. He was also the executive assistant to MLA Howard Pawley.
In 1976, Sinclair enrolled at the University of Winnipeg. He then attended law school.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•5 days ago

He graduated with a law degree from the University of Manitoba, and won the A.J. Christie Prize as the top student in litigation in his second year of legal studies.
Sinclair practiced primarily in the field of civil and criminal litigation and Indigenous law.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•5 days ago

In March 1988, he was appointed associate chief judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba, becoming the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba's history. In that role he served as co-commissioner of Manitoba's Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•5 days ago

In January 2001, Sinclair was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba. He was the first Indigenous person to be appointed to that court.
He was then asked to chair Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He declined due to its expected emotional toll.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•5 days ago

After the TRC chair resigned and the commissioners were replaced, Sinclair was asked to take over. This time he agreed and in 2009 was appointed chair on the condition that decision making was based on consensus not voting.

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