Clayton Sandy

Honorary Doctor of Laws

Clayton Sandy is a respected knowledge keeper, cultural advisor, and community activist who’s spent his working life educating generations of non-Indigenous people in the province about the history of Indigenous people in this country

His home community is Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation.

In Clayton’s 38 years of service, he’s had the opportunity to work in many provincial government departments, including Natural Resources, Energy and Mines, Labour, Civil Service Commission, Family Services, and Education and Training. He also did a two-year secondment at Stony Mountain Institution.

Clayton is the epitome of community bridge-building leadership in action, as he seizes every opportunity to work with Indigenous and non-Indigenous leadership to engage people and advance truth and reconciliation.

Diane Redsky, UWinnipeg Honorary Doctor of Laws recipient and Executive Director of the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, says Clayton has worked tirelessly over the years to make significant contributions to the growth and development of Winnipeg’s urban Indigenous community.

She added that Clayton’s work throughout the decades has inspired other Manitobans and shows that one person guided by a greater purpose can, and does, make all the difference.

From 2016 to 2020, Clayton was the Indigenous Ambassador for Circles of Reconciliation, a non-profit grassroots community project that seeks to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. During his time in this role, he trained more than 150 facilitators.

Clayton is an active volunteer. He was President of the First Nations Pavilion at Folklorama, Knowledge Keeper and Cultural Advisor for MacDonald Youth Services, and chaired and participated on many boards in his community, the province, and at the national level. He is a frequent consultant with Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, where he helps educate newcomers about the Treaties.

Clayton also attended and presented his life narrative at the Truth and Reconciliation conferences across Canada.

For his commitment to advancing reconciliation, The University of Winnipeg is proud to bestow an Honorary Doctor of Laws on Clayton Sandy.