Murray Sinclair - Lethbridge College honorary degree recipient - photo provided by Mr. Sinclair

By Sarah Jones

Truth and Reconciliation Chair to receive honorary degree from Lethbridge College

Apr 14, 2021 | 3:31 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — The Honourable Murray Sinclair will be the 20th honorary degree recipient in Lethbridge College history. Sinclair is set to receive a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Justice Studies as part of the college’s convocation ceremony this Spring.

Sinclair (Mizhana Gheezhik), is Anishinaabe and a member of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, and was Manitoba’s first and Canada’s second Indigenous judge. In his over 40 years of work as a legal professional and senator, he has been an extremely influential voice for Indigenous peoples. He is an advocate for reconciliation and has been sitting as a chair member on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada since 2009.

Sinclair spent several years travelling with TRC across the country to document stories from survivors impacted by residential schools. In 2015 the commission released a report documenting over 7000 testimonies of individuals that lived through residential schools, and 94 recommendations regarding reconciliation between Canadians and Indigenous peoples. He was also appointed to the Senate in 2016 and served for five years, working on committees such as the Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples and the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

Since retiring from the Senate, Sinclair has joined Cochrane Saxberg, a litigation, child protection, employment and labour, corporate and Indigenous advocacy law firm in Winnipeg, as general counsel.

Honorary degree’s are given to individuals whose achievements or services to society set a standard of excellence.

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Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns says “As a mentor and role model, The Honourable Sinclair has helped generations of young people find success in the legal profession, while his work with the TRC has created a path for a better future for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to travel together. As Lethbridge College is located on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy and we continue our own journey to improving Indigenous education, we could not ask for a better guide than His Honour.”

Sinclair will not be able to attend the convocation in Lethbridge due to Covid-19 restrictions, but will be presented with his honorary degree from Lethbridge College distinguished alumni Dr. Karla Guyn in Winnipeg. The presentation will be broadcasted at the convocation on May 27 and 28.