Front Burner

How Murray Sinclair changed Canada

An intimate look at the lessons and legacy of Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and how he changed Canada.
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Justice Murray Sinclair stands in the ballroom at Rideau Hall after being invested as a companion of the Order of Canada and receiving a Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division), in Ottawa, on Thursday, May 26, 2022. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Murray Sinclair — an Anishinaabe lawyer, judge, senator, and, most consequentially, the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation commission — died last week at the age of 73. 

Sinclair helped bring to light the stories of thousands of Indigenous residential school survivors and advocated for justice for them. He's been recognized by many as someone who fundamentally changed the country and what Canadians know about ourselves and our history.

Today we have a documentary featuring the voices of three people who knew Murray Sinclair well, about the personal lessons he taught them and how he transformed Canada.

We'll hear from journalist and filmmaker Tanya Talaga; Phil Fontaine, the former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations; and Kim Murray, the Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide support for survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour service at 1-866-925-4419.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

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