Overview
- Buffy Sainte-Marie, an Oscar-winning folk singer and activist, has had her Order of Canada honor rescinded following questions about her Indigenous identity.
- A 2023 CBC investigation presented evidence, including a birth certificate, indicating Sainte-Marie was born as Beverly Jean Santamaria to white parents in Massachusetts.
- Sainte-Marie has long asserted she was born Cree on the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan and adopted by a white family, a claim now under scrutiny.
- While some supporters highlight her decades of advocacy for Indigenous causes, others criticize her as a 'pretendian' for allegedly misrepresenting her heritage.
- The Canadian government has not provided a detailed explanation for revoking the honor, and Sainte-Marie continues to dispute the investigation's findings.