Who We Are – a last gift from an extraordinary Canadian

 

Many Canadians woke up Wednesday fraught with existential inquiry—the result of the U.S. Presidential Election casting a shadow of contemplation and reflection.

Our nations are inextricably tied together by many things, including the colonial path to our founding. Perhaps it is fitting that the clarity we need to answer this question for ourselves and our nation comes from a man who held this tension in his work and life—the late Honorable Murray Sinclair.

In his book Who We Are: Four Questions For a Life and a Nation, published just six weeks ago, Sinclair provides a resonating parting gift—perhaps the most authentic path for understanding identity, reconciliation, and collective responsibility in our current moment.

Where do I come from? A reflection on the stories that share people and communities.

Where am I going? A reflection on purpose, direction, responsibility and the path forward.

Why am I here? A reflection on responsibility and action.

Who am I? A summation of collective values, beliefs, and principles that make us who we are.

The impact of the Honourable Murray Sinclair’s work and advocacy is undeniable, but perhaps it is not what he did but what he shared with us that will define our path forward as people, a nation, and a world.

Editor’s note: Future of Good will be closed on Monday for Remembrance Day, and as such, there will be no newsletter. We encourage you to take the time to reflect on the occasion in a manner of your choosing that day.