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Buffy Sainte-Marie, the famous singer-songwriter and an Academy Award winning musician, has faced a lot of scrutiny in recent months as questions surrounding her heritage and citizenship status have surfaced.
She was once an indigenous icon in Canada. She has now had several prestigious arts honors rescinded after it was confirmed that she was not a Canadian citizen.
Sainte-Marie has long claimed to be of Cree ancestry, saying she was born on the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan. Throughout her career, she has received several awards and accolades recognizing her as a pioneer for Indigenous artists.
But a CBC investigation in 2023 provided evidence directly refuting her story, including a birth certificate showing she was born Beverly Jean Santamaria in Stoneham, Mass., to white American parents.
Following the allegations, Buffy Sainte-Marie released a statement, saying she still considers herself a member of the Indigenous community despite the doubts around her ancestry.
After confirming that she is not a Canadian citizen, a number of the honors bestowed on Sainte-Marie have been withdrawn. The Polaris Music Prize organization announced it would retract the trophies she won as a 2015 and 2020 winner of the award, according to eligibility rules that require recipients to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Likewise, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has revoked her seven Juno Awards and her 1994 induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
More about Buffy Sainte-Marie and her connection with Piapot First Nation
Even before the publication of the CBC report, members of the Piapot First Nation publicly defended Buffy Sainte-Marie, saying she is part of their family.
They stressed that she had been chosen and accepted by their community under Cree customs, reasserting that there is much more to Indigenous identity than mere biological lineage.
"We chose her and she chose us. We claim her as a member of our family and all of our family members are from the Piapot First Nation."
CBC’s discoveries include reference to a 2012 biography by Blair Stonechild that said Sainte-Marie’s family changed its surname from Santamaria to Sainte-Marie to escape anti-Italian prejudice during World War II.
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According to CBC, her official website used to say she was thought to have been born on the Piapot First Nation reserve before being removed as a baby.
Buffy Sainte-Marie, who rose to fame in the 1960s folk scene, has been an activist for Indigenous rights throughout her career. She won an Oscar in 1983, and her contributions to culture have been duly acknowledged.
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