Who We Are: Four Questions for a Life and a Nation

ho would have thought that one of the most accomplished Canadians of our era thought of himself as the ugly duckling?The racism that Murray Sinclair faced as a child growing up in Manitoba left its share of scars and made him feel like an outsider (p.70).But, just as the swan born into a group of ducklings in the fable recounted by Hans Christian Anderson could emerge as something beautiful when a new consciousness was able to emerge, Sinclair's efforts to encourage Indigenous Reconciliation helped this "outsider" emerge as one of this generation's most admired leaders.The Honourable Murray Sinclair left an indelible mark on Canadian society.Although he died of congestive heart failure in November 2024 at 73 years of age he has, very fortunately for us, left a memoir worth treasuring.A lawyer, Murray Sinclair became Manitoba's first Indigenous judge in 1988, co-led the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in that province, and was best known nationally as the Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) for Canada from 2009 to 2015.He was later appointed to the Senate, was awarded the Order of Canada in 2022, and was the recipient of 20 honorary degrees.Born in the former St. Peter's Indian Reserve along the shores of the Red River, Sinclair's mother died of a stroke a year after his birth.He and his three siblings were raised by their grandparents.The family was eventually forced to move to the Peguis First Nation near Selkirk, MB.There, in high school, Sinclair excelled at academics and sports.Throughout his childhood, young Murray fervently practiced the Catholic faith.He was constantly made aware that his grandmother desired that he should become a