Hosted by Chancellor Shelagh Rogers, this special occasion brings together members of the Queen’s community to celebrate Queen’s 15th Chancellor’s profound contributions to truth and reconciliation, education, and justice, and his enduring impact on the university and Canadian society. Principal Patrick Deane, who conceived the idea for the lecture series, hopes that the establishment of the Chancellor Emeritus Murray Sinclair Commemorative Lecture champions Queen’s ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation and to the role of universities as spaces for thoughtful, inclusive dialogue and difficult conversations held with respect and care.
Senator Murray Sinclair served as Queen’s 15th Chancellor from 2021 to 2023. A respected national leader, jurist, and advocate, he chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), which issued the landmark Calls to Action that continue to shape reconciliation efforts across the country. His time as Chancellor was marked by a deep commitment to fostering dialogue, understanding, and change within the Queen’s community and beyond. Murray Sinclair passed away on November 4, 2024, in Winnipeg at the age of 73.
Watch the inaugural Chancellor Emeritus Murray Sinclair Commemorative Lecture and Portrait Unveiling (January 14, 2026) on the , or read more about it in the Ҵý Gazette.
Doors open at 10:30 am, program to begin at 11 am
Opening in a Good Way – Te ho wis kwûnt Allen Doxtator
Welcome – Shelagh Rogers
Introductory remarks - Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane
Keynote – “Ten Lessons from Commissioner Dad” – Niigaan Sinclair
During his final speech at the TRC final event, Lead Commissioner Murray Sinclair remarked that his only regret was that he spent so much time away from his family. Come hear a brief talk on why and a reflection on the legacy of Murray Sinclair-iban.
Keynote – “Legacies, Lingering” - Dr. Danielle Lussier
Dr. Lussier will share reflections – from her perspective as a mum, teacher, and Queen’s community member – on relationships, reconciliation, and legacies that linger.
Portrait by Kent Monkman unveiling
Closing in a Good Way- Te ho wis kwûnt Allen Doxtator
Reception
Niigaan Sinclair
Niigaan Sinclair is an Anishinaabe writer, editor, professor, and activist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Danielle Lussier
Dr. Danielle Lussier, Red River Métis and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation, was born and raised in the Homeland of the Métis Nation on Treaty 1 Territory. She is a beadworker and mum to three young people, and she currently serves as Queen’s National Scholar and Chair in Indigenous Knowledges and Perspectives at Queen’s University.
A portrait of Chancellor Emeritus and former Senator Mazina Giizhik Murray Sinclair was unveiled at the inaugural commemorative lecture. Painted by Kent Monkman, the acrylic-on-canvas portrait The Honourable Senator Emeritus Murray Sinclair situates Sinclair within Monkman’s distinctive visual language, blending contemporary portraiture with historical and cultural reference. Monkman was suggested as the artist to the university by Sinclair himself, while Sinclair was simultaneously at the top of Monkman’s list of subjects for his ongoing Shining Stars portrait series.