The Order of Canada of singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has been revoked by the Governor General’s office.
The action was reported in the Canada Gazette, the official newspaper of the federal government where the text of new laws, rules, and other announcements and decisions is published.
The action follows a CBC investigation in 2023 on Sainte-Marie’s Indigenous background, which revealed a birth certificate showing she was born in Massachusetts and noted her parents as white.”Buffy Sainte-Marie’s appointment to the Order of Canada was ended by a rule signed by the Governor General on January 3, 2025,” according to a brief message posted on the Gazette website on February 8.
Family members in the U.S., including a younger sister, told CBC that Sainte-Marie does not have Indigenous ancestry. Sainte-Marie, who is 83, challenged the CBC investigation after it became widely reported, claiming that the episode of The Fifth Estate had many errors and left out important information.“Being a ‘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 said in a written statement to The Canadian Press at the time.
She said she won’t reply to every fake claim. She also mentioned hearing from many others who feel victimised by these accusations and don’t know where they stand.
She chose to adopt.
