Senator Sinclair played an instrumental role for many years advancing reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada. In 2009, Senator Sinclair became the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). He led hundreds of community hearings, sharing circles, and regional gatherings across Canada, in which thousands of residential school survivors shared their difficult and often traumatizing experiences. Senator Sinclair ensured that their stories - and the long-lasting impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples - have been properly documented, so that it will never be forgotten.
Senator Sinclair was Manitoba's first and Canada's second Indigenous judge. In 2016 he was appointed to the Senate where he used his position to bring awareness to concerns of Indigenous Peoples until his retirement from the Senate in January 2021. Senator Sinclair continues to tirelessly advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the importance of keeping the Government of Canada accountable in the steps needed on the path of reconciliation.
The Parties sincerely thank Senator Sinclair for agreeing to play an important role in this critical process.
Background:
On October 29, 2021, the Parties announced that they had agreed to sit down immediately and work towards an agreement by December 2021 on outstanding issues. This will include:
- Providing fair, equitable compensation to eligible victims impacted by Canada's discriminatory conduct,
- Ending the discrimination and preventing its recurrence by achieving long-term reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services program and Jordan's Principle, and
- Funding for the purchase and/or construction of capital assets that support the delivery of child and family services on-reserve and under Jordan's Principle.
