Oscar-winning songwriter and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Buffy Sainte-Marie has been stripped of her prestigious Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor. The Toronto Star reported the termination of her appointment late Friday.
She is being accused of being a “Pretendian,” a term used to describe individuals falsely claiming Indigenous heritage.
Ken MacKillop, Secretary General of the Order of Canada, issued the official notice that
“Notice is hereby given that the appointment of Buffy Sainte-Marie to the Order of Canada was terminated by Ordinance signed by the Governor General [Mary Simon] on January 3, 2025.”
Investigation of Buffy Sainte-Marie
While no official reason for the termination was provided, speculation centers around an investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Fifth Estate.” The report, published on October 27, 2023, and viewed over 1.5 million times on YouTube, alleges that Sainte-Marie fabricated her Indigenous identity.
The documentary presented a birth certificate showing her place of birth as Boston, Massachusetts, listing her race as “white” and her birth name as Beverly Jean Santamaria.
