Buffy Sainte-Marie Stripped of Order of Canada Over Heritage Controversy

The Canadian government rescinded the honor following allegations that the singer-songwriter misrepresented her Indigenous identity.

Buffy Sainte-Marie, an Oscar-winning artist and activist, has had her Order of Canada honor revoked, as announced in the Canada Gazette on February 8, 2025.
The revocation follows a 2023 CBC investigation that questioned Sainte-Marie's claims of Indigenous heritage, presenting a birth certificate listing her as born to white parents in Massachusetts.
Sainte-Marie has consistently denied the allegations, stating she has limited knowledge of her birth origins and maintains pride in her Indigenous-American identity and ties to the Piapot Cree First Nation.
The Order of Canada is one of the country's highest civilian honors, and only nine individuals out of over 7,600 recipients have had their appointments terminated since its inception in 1967.
The controversy has reignited broader discussions about identity, heritage, and the standards for verifying claims in public and cultural recognition.