Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's a sombre day here in Ottawa as we reflect on a life well lived.
Murray Sinclair was an amazing person. He had tremendous influence all across Canada. I can think of no other person who advanced reconciliation over the past decade more than Senator Sinclair did.
Long before I was a member of Parliament, I was a treaty education lead in Nova Scotia. I would go around the Atlantic region speaking his words, quoting him, and speaking about his passion for the education system. One of the quotes that I always remembered in my presentations from Murray reads:
While Indigenous children were being mistreated in residential schools being told they were heathens, savages and pagans and inferior people – that same message was being delivered in the public schools of this country.
He said that to awaken Canadians, we needed an education system that spoke not only about the truth and record about the Indian residential schools but also about our true shared history in this country, all of it.
As a member of Parliament, I was able to co-chair with him the indigenous parliamentarians and senators group, where we had a belief that no matter what your political affiliation was, no matter where you were, and wherever you grew up, if you were indigenous, we could find common ground on things. I always remember that.
He'll be well remembered. I just want to say woliwon to him for his legacy, but also, to his family, meegwetch for sharing him with us. We're thinking about you in our prayers right now.