Metis leader Jim Sinclair dies of cancer

Jim Sinclair made significant contributions to the Métis cause.

Jim Sinclair, one of the most significant figures in the advancement of Aboriginal interests in Canada, died of cancer Nov. 9 at the age of 79. “The MÈtis Nation has lost one of the most significant leaders in the history of our Nation,” said Robert Doucette, president of Métis Nation—Saskatchewan.  “Sadly, we mourn the passing of Jim Sinclair, a trail blazer and one of the key leaders responsible for the Métis being entrenched in section 35 of the Canadian Constitution in 1982.” Sinclair entered Métis politics in 1967 as a member of the Métis Society of Saskatchewan and moved on to be the organization’s president from 1971 until 1989. He helped to establish and lead the Native Council of Canada, now known as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and was president of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples of Saskatchewan from 1996 until his passing. He played key roles in the creation of many institutions, including the Gabriel Dumont Institute. Sinclair’s work garnered him several recognitions over the years, including a lifetime achievement award in 2006 at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Sinclair was born in Punnichy. He is survived by six children, 20 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.