The Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair shares powerful insight on Indigenous history and culture

We were honoured to welcome The Honourable Senator Murray Sinclair on December 2 as a guest speaker in the third webinar in our Leading with purpose series. Members of Torys as well as clients and friends of the firm had the privilege of hearing from Senator Sinclair as he delivered a highly impactful session on Indigenous history and culture.

Senator Murray Sinclair—who has recently announced that he will retire from Senate on January 31, 2021 to focus on writing his memoirs and mentoring young lawyers in Indigenous law—was the first Indigenous judge appointed in Manitoba and the second in Canada. He served as the co-chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba and Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, Senator Sinclair participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the issuance of the TRC’s landmark report in 2015.

In the thought-provoking session, Senator Sinclair shared personal stories and discussed the importance of reconciliation in Canadian society while addressing an array of topics, which included Indigenous history and culture, the history of civil rights and equality for Indigenous persons, the challenges Indigenous persons face in the education system, the workplace and society. Senator Sinclair also provided advice on what can be done to help engage productive conversations about anti-racism, allyship and inclusiveness in our own daily lives.

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