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The common Steinhauer - Sinclair grave
1960
Whitefish Lake, Alberta

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1875 marked a turning point in Steinhauer's life. Given his mission experience and In the face of rapid settlement and the resulting dislocation of Aboriginal people, he withdrew from the Canadian Methodist missionary society and asserted his First Nations identity more strongly. He remained a Methodist and continued his mission work.

As Steinhauer's assistant and close friend, Benjamin Sinclair became an important leader at Whitefish Lake. He remained a devout Methodist and an advocate of schooling.

In 1884 Benjamin Sinclair contracted influenza and died on December 28th. The next day, Henry Steinhauer died from the same flu epidemic. The families agreed to bury the two men in a common grave.