New report by the CBC investigates Indigenous heritage of Buffy Sainte-Marie
A new investigation by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation has called singer Buffy Sainte-Marie‘s claims of Indigenous heritage into question. The report comprises a documentary and an article.
Saint-Marie has previously stated that she was born to Cree parents in Canada before she was adopted and raised in the United States. Alongside music, she has also worked in social activism focused on Indigenous issues. Now, allegations have arisen surrounding her claims to Indigenous identity.
The investigation comprises evidence from documents and statements stating that her claims have been refuted by “genealogical documentation, including her own birth certificate, historical research and personal accounts”.
The singer’s lawyer, Josephine de Whytell, told the CBC: “At no point has Buffy Sainte-Marie personally misrepresented her ancestry or any details about her personal history to the public.”
Sainte-Marie also released a statement ahead of the report on Twitter. “It is with great sadness, and a heavy heart, that I am forced to respond to deeply hurtful allegations that I expect will be reported in the media soon,” she began.
The singer went on to detail her understanding of her ancestry and background before stating, “While these questions have hurt me, I know they will also hurt those I love. My family. My friends. And all those who have seen themselves in my story.”
“All I can say is what I know to be true,” she concluded, “I know who I love, I know who loves me. And I know who claims me. I may not know where I was born, but I know who I am.”
The Piapot family have also released a statement via The Globe and Mail, in which they state, “The accusations which are about to be made of our Auntie Buffy are hurtful, ignorant, colonial – and racist.”
“Buffy is our family. 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. To us, that holds far more weight than any paper documentation or colonial record keeping ever could,” they declared.
Read Saint-Marie’s full statement below.
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