Honourable senators, on this first anniversary of his departure to the spirit world, I rise to honour Mizhana Giizhik-iban, a towering leader, judge, senator, mentor and friend whose life and work profoundly changed Canada and inspired millions globally. Like so many, I am immensely grateful for his decades of mentorship and friendship, his wisdom, humour, humility and courage, as well as the many personal moments that revealed his compassion and generosity.

The Honourable Murray Sinclair-iban was among the first prominent men to raise, much less champion, the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women when it was largely ignored. His demand for justice in the Helen Betty Osborne case exposed systemic racism, sexism and indifference. The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba, which he co-chaired, condemned Canada’s criminal legal system for its massive failures toward Indigenous Peoples, calling the nation’s treatment of its first citizens “an international disgrace.”

As chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he compelled Canada to confront the truth of its colonial and genocidal past. His leadership not only advanced national healing but also laid the groundwork for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada and the movement toward implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Through his actions, he exemplified the Seven Sacred Teachings — love, respect, honesty, humility, courage, truth and wisdom — and consistently urged others to act with integrity and compassion, even when he stood alone.

In 2019, during debate on Bill C-83, which proposed replacing solitary confinement with structured intervention units, Senator Sinclair demonstrated his principled and moral strength when he changed his stance after listening to colleagues, ultimately opposing the bill because it lacked independent oversight. He powerfully linked the practice of segregation to the punishment rooms in residential schools as a reminder of the dangers of unchecked authority.

Beyond his public achievements, Murray Sinclair-iban was deeply human. He engaged warmly with everyone, regardless of status, and left countless stories of kindness and humour. Colleagues, friends, survivors and family alike remember his big laugh, teasing wit and generous spirit. His advisers, staff and even strangers recall how he made everyone feel valued and seen.

Please join me in expressing heartfelt thanks to his family for sharing him with the world. Murray’s legacy of justice, compassion, courage and reconciliation continues to guide and inspire. We promise to honour your example and invite you and others to haunt us or otherwise “nudge us if we fail to act.”

Chi-meegwetch, Mizhana Giizhik-iban.