Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | Writer, editor, and activist |
| Nationality | Anishinaabe-Canadian |
| Alma mater | |
Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, also referred to as Niigaan James Sinclair or Niigaan Sinclair, is an Anishinaabe writer, editor, and activist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Originally from Selkirk, Manitoba [1] Sinclair is the son of judge and senator Murray Sinclair.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Winnipeg, a Master of Arts in Native- and African-American Literatures from the University of Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Philosophy in First Nations and American Literatures at the University of British Columbia. [2]
Sinclair is Head of the Department of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba where he holds the Faculty of Arts Professorship in Indigenous Knowledge and Aesthetics. Sinclair is a co-editor of award-winning books Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water (Highwater Press, 2011), Centering Anishinaabeg Studies: Understanding the World Through Stories (Michigan State University Press, 2013). [3] He edited and authored two chapters ("Dancing in a mall" and "the words we have inherited") in Winter We Danced: Voices of the Past, the Future, and the Idle No More Movement (Arbeiter Ring Publishing, 2014) [4] as well as a number of graphic novels. [5] He is also a journalist for the Winnipeg Free Press and is a former high school teacher. In addition, he is a captain with the Mama Bear Clan patrol in North Point Douglas in Winnipeg's inner city. He is the son of the late and former Canadian Senator Murray Sinclair (1951-2024) and Jeanette Warren. [6]
Sinclair is also a public speaker and media commentator who was recently named to the “Power List” by Maclean’s magazine as one of the most influential individuals in Canada. He has helped organize Idle No More Winnipeg events [7] and he frequently speaks on Indigenous issues on CTV, CBC and APTN. [8] In 2018, he won Canadian columnist of the year at the National Newspaper Awards for his bi-weekly columns in The Winnipeg Free Press and is a featured member of the "Power Panel" on CBC's Power & Politics. Sinclair won the 2019 Peace Educator of the Year from the Peace and Justice Studies Association based at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He was also previously named one of Monocle Magazine ‘s “Canada’s Top 20 Most Influential People.”
His book Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre won the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction at the 2024 Governor General's Awards. [9]
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