Inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Buffy Sainte-Marie has had her prestigious Order of Canada honor rescinded, more than a year after a scandal erupted surrounding allegations that she had misrepresented her Indigenous ancestry. On February 8th, Saturday, the Canadian government disclosed this reversal in the latest edition of the Canada Gazette, stating, "It is hereby notified that the appointment of Buffy Sainte-Marie to the Order of Canada has been terminated by an Ordinance signed by the Governor General on January 3, 2025."
Sainte-Marie, 83, renowned for her activist anthems such as "Universal Soldier" and "Now That the Buffalo's Gone," was celebrated as the first Indigenous individual to co-write an Oscar-winning song, "Up Where We Belong," for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, according to CBC, which initially probed into her alleged falsehoods about her ethnicity in 2023.
Throughout her decades-spanning career, Sainte-Marie has garnered an impressive array of Indigenous music accolades, including four Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, two Indigenous Music Awards, four Junos specifically for Indigenous artists, and four Indigenous lifetime achievement awards, as previously reported by CBC.
In October 2023, CBC's investigative program The Fifth Estate aired allegations that Sainte-Marie had fabricated her heritage, which has since garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube. The reporters presented a birth certificate on-camera, revealing her birthplace as Stoneham, Massachusetts, her race as "white," and her birth name as Beverly Jean Santamaria, painting a vivid picture of the controversy that has surrounded her legacy.
In 2023, CBC unveiled a narrative asserting that Sainte-Marie had long embraced her identity as a "Cree Indian," once declaring her birth within the "Piapot Cree reservation, in close proximity to Craven, Saskatchewan." Sainte-Marie further recounted being adopted by Albert and Winifred Santamaria, a Massachusetts couple who nurtured her near Boston, and later in life, reconnecting with her biological kin. Swiftly responding to CBC's revelations, Sainte-Marie penned an elaborate statement titled "My Truth as I Know It," which she distributed across social media platforms, branding the accusations as "profoundly hurtful."
"I have perpetually grappled with questions pertaining to my identity," she expressed at the time, emphasizing her "pride in my Indigenous-American heritage and the profound bonds I share with Canada, as well as my Piapot family." She clarified, "My understanding of my Indigenous lineage stems from my mother's teachings," culminating her statement with, "Though the exact locale of my birth may remain elusive, I am unwavering in my self-knowledge."
The year 2023 also witnessed Piapot First Nation's acting Chief, Ira Lavallee, urging Sainte-Marie to undergo a DNA test, remarking to the Canadian Press, "I firmly believe we are entitled to a conclusive response from her." Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, addressing the Toronto Star, maintained a stance of non-commentary on individual termination cases. This representative further elaborated to Variety that out of the 7,600 recipients of the Order of Canada since its inception in 1967, mere nine have had their honors rescinded.
