Buffy Sainte-Marie's Order of Canada Appointment Terminated by Governor General
The Governor General has terminated Buffy Sainte-Marie's appointment to the Order of Canada after a CBC investigation raised questions about her Indigenous heritage.
Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie's appointment to the Order of Canada has been terminated by the Governor General.
The government's official publication, posted Friday, said Governor General Mary Simon had ended the appointment on Jan. 3, and was signed by the Secretary General of the Order of Canada.
A reason for the termination was not given. "The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General does not comment on the specifics of termination cases," the Governor's General told the Star in an emailed statement.
However, the termination follows a CBC investigation that raised doubts about Sainte-Marie's Indigenous heritage.
Sainte-Marie's Indigenous culture was a central part of her identity as she rose to fame in the 1960s, and she has won awards including multiple Junos and the Polaris Music Prize in 2015.
CBC reported in October 2023 that it found Sainte-Marie's birth certificate, which states she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts. The document lists the baby and parents as white and includes a signature of an attending physician -- information CBC says is corroborated by Sainte-Marie's marriage certificate, a life insurance policy and the U.S. census. Family members in the U.S., including Sainte-Marie's younger sister, also informed CBC that Sainte-Marie was not adopted and does not have Indigenous ancestry.
In November 2023, Sainte-Marie pushed back, maintaining she has never lied about her identity, and that the CBC report was full of mistakes and omissions, calling the story an attack on her character, life and legacy.
"Being an 'Indian' has little to do with sperm tracking and colonial record keeping: it has to do with community, culture, knowledge, teachings, who claims you, who you love, who loves you and who's your family," Sainte-Marie, 82, stated in a written message to The Canadian Press.
Sainte-Marie indicated she "will not stoop to respond to every false allegation."
However, she mentioned that it was common for birth certificates to be "created" after Indigenous children were adopted or taken away from their families. She stated she relied on a birth certificate throughout her life that was the only document she possessed.
She has never known if it was real, she said.
With files from The Canadian Press
