Latest news with #BuffySainte-Marie
Vancouver Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
TMU mural featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie 'to be updated before the end of this year'
A prominent mural featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie at Toronto Metropolitan University is being removed, the university says amid an online discussion against the disgraced singer-songwriter. The mural features a host of celebrated Canadian names, including Buffy Sainte-Marie. 'TMU needs to update their Greatest Canadian tribute on Gould St,' read a post on Reddit Tuesday. Sainte-Marie's successful music career and activism made her an icon for Indigenous Canadians, but CBC reported she is an American without Indigenous lineage. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The singer-songwriter was stripped of her Order of Canada in January this year by an Ordinance signed by the Governor General. Although no reason was stated in the notice , Sainte-Marie was in the spotlight following a 2023 CBC News investigation that questioned her claims about her Indigenous identity. Sainte-Marie refuted questions about her Cree heritage but eventually her website removed references to her being born on Piapot First Nation, located outside of Regina. In a response to National Post's inquiry, TMU responded in an email saying the university is in the process of updating the images on the west facade of The Image Centre. 'The current mural was installed in 2017 and was originally intended to have a five-year lifespan,' a university spokesperson said in an email. 'A refresh had been planned, but pandemic-related delays shifted the timeline. It is currently scheduled to be updated before the end of this year.' Participating in the online discourse, the user who shared the post and the photos of the mural wrote in the comments, 'Buffy was featured prominently in the Human Rights museum in Winnipeg. They eventually yanked her presence because her fraud was too glaring to ignore. Celebrating her this way — so centrally on campus — doesn't send the best message to the young undergrads and highschoolers at TMU.' The action taken by the museum in Winnipeg happened late February this year, with one professor saying he was surprised it took so long to remove her profile from the exhibit. 'She lied on a continuous basis,' Robert-Falcon Ouellette, a Winnipeg-based professor at the University of Ottawa and a former member of Parliament, told CBC in February . 'Not just a little bit, not a misunderstanding, but she purposely created a fog around her identity.' As for who else could possibly feature in the updated mural, the name of the Canadian comedian Mike Myers came up in the comments section of the Reddit post. The comedian has a host of new fans following his battle-cry of elbows up, a famous hockey phrase that he revived following Trump's 51st state rhetoric during a skit for Saturday Night Live in March this year. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
TMU mural featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie 'to be updated before the end of this year'
Article content A prominent mural featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie at Toronto Metropolitan University is being removed, the university says amid an online discussion against the disgraced singer-songwriter. The mural features a host of celebrated Canadian names, including Buffy Sainte-Marie. 'TMU needs to update their Greatest Canadian tribute on Gould St,' read a post on Reddit Tuesday.
USA Today
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie's awards rescinded after she confirms she's not Canadian
Folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie's awards rescinded after she confirms she's not Canadian A 2023 CBC investigation tracked down the Massachusetts birth certificate for the 84-year-old singer, who previously marketed herself as a "Cree singer-songwriter." Oscar-winning singer Buffy Sainte-Marie has had two more awards rescinded amid revelations about her heritage and nationality. Canada's prestigious Juno Awards, which recognize musical achievements, and the Polaris Music Prize on Friday announced their respective decisions to revoke the recognitions they've bestowed upon the singer over the decades, citing the 84-year-old's recent confirmation that she is an American citizen, rather than Canadian. This statement to the Canadian Press, which was issued March 4 in response to the termination of her appointment to the Order of Canada earlier this year, said she had "made it completely clear" she was not Canadian when she was awarded the honor in 1997. USA TODAY has reached out to Sainte-Marie's representatives for comment. Buffy Sainte-Marie removed from Canadian Music Hall of Fame after 'confirmation that she is not Canadian' In the aftermath of the statement, the Polaris Music Prize said in a March 7 blog post, "Buffy Sainte-Marie released an updated statement confirming she is an American citizen and holds a U.S. passport. ... Based on Sainte-Marie's statement, Buffy does not meet Polaris Music Prize's rules and regulations. "Given Buffy's statement regarding her citizenship, Polaris Music Prize will be rescinding all awards including her 2015 Polaris Music Prize and 2020 Heritage Prize." Polaris "requires all nominees to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, with proof of status provided through government-issued documentation, including passports, birth certificates, permanent resident cards, and/or Secure Certificates of Indian Status," the post explained. It added, "We understand that not all Indigenous people have access to government-issued paperwork, and we acknowledge that this does not diminish their identity or connection to their communities and should not impact their ability to be nominated for the Polaris Music Prize." That same day, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences said in a news release: "Following a thorough review, consultations with the CARAS Indigenous Music Advisory Committee, and in light of recent information, including Ms. Sainte-Marie's confirmation that she is not Canadian, CARAS will revoke Buffy Sainte-Marie's JUNO Awards and Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction in accordance with its eligibility requirements." The statement added, "Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a strong supporter and advocate for Canadian music, and we acknowledge the past contributions she has made to our organization. However, CARAS' mandate is to educate, develop, celebrate, and honour Canadian artists." Buffy Sainte-Marie previously highlighted alleged Cree ancestry In her statement last month to the Canadian Press, Sainte-Marie said that when she was a young adult she was adopted by a Cree family in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. She also said she has "lived with uncertainty" about her heritage. In the past Sainte-Marie was described on her website — which touted her "Indigenous leadership" — as a "Cree singer-songwriter." Her website's bio in 2023 also claimed "she became the only Indigenous person to win an Oscar" at the time with her 1983 Academy Awards recognition for best original song ("Up Where We Belong" from "An Officer and a Gentleman.") These statements have since been removed from her website. 2023 investigation found Sainte-Marie was born to white parents in Massachusetts; singer says she was adopted In October 2023, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation published an investigation that uncovered her birth certificate, which showed a birthplace of Stoneham, Massachusetts. According to the CBC, she was born Beverly Jean Santamaria on Feb. 20, 191, to a white couple, Albert and Winifred Santamaria, whom she's claimed were her adoptive parents. "For many years, Sainte-Marie claimed she was born on the Piapot First Nation" located within Saskatchewan, the report said. But Sainte-Marie's lawyer, Josephine de Whytell, told the outlet in a statement at the time, "At no point has Buffy Sainte-Marie personally misrepresented her ancestry or any details about her personal history to the public." In the 2018 novel "Buffy Sainte-Marie: An Authorized Biography," for which Joni Mitchell wrote the forward, Sainte-Marie explained her understanding of her Native heritage to author Andrea Warner. "I was told that I was adopted. I was told that I was just born 'on the wrong side of the blanket.' In other words, one of my parents was my parent and one wasn't. I was told that we were part-Indian, but nobody knew anything about it," the book quotes her as saying, according to the CBC. Emile and Clara Piapot of the Piapot First Nation adopted Sainte-Marie into their family in the early '60s, several family members confirmed in the CBC's report, saying, this "holds far more weight than any paper documentation or colonial recordkeeping ever could." Buffy Sainte-Marie: 'I am proud of my Indigenous-American identity' The day before the CBC investigation was published, Sainte-Marie took to social media to share both a video and a lengthy statement about the "deeply hurtful allegations" that were set to come out. "I am proud of my Indigenous-American identity, and the deep ties I have to Canada and my Piapot family. What I know about my Indigenous ancestry I learned from my growing up mother, who was part Mi'kmaq, and my own research later in life," she wrote on Oct. 26, 2023. "My mother told me many things, including that I was adopted and that I was Native." Sainte-Marie wrote that she has struggled to pinpoint her ancestry and said her "Indigenous identity is rooted in a deep connection to a community which has had a profound role in shaping my life and my work." "For a long time, I tried to discover information about my background. Through that research what became clear, and what I've always been honest about, is that I don't know where I'm from or who my birth parents were, and I will never know," she wrote. "Which is why, to be questioned in this way today is painful, both for me, and for my two families I love so dearly."
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Buffy Sainte-Marie's Polaris and Juno Awards Revoked Following Claims She Fabricated Identity
The post Buffy Sainte-Marie's Polaris and Juno Awards Revoked Following Claims She Fabricated Identity appeared first on Consequence. Following a recent scandal alleging that the folk artist and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie had fabricated her Canadian Indigenous roots, the Polaris Music Prize and Juno Awards have revoked honors bestowed on the musician. The release of a 2023 documentary produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) called Sainte-Marie's Indigenous identity into question. A fervent activist for Indigenous causes, as reflected in songs like 'Now That the Buffalo's Gone,' Sainte-Marie had long claimed that she was born and raised on a Cree reservation in Saskatchewan. However, the CBC program uncovered she was in fact born in Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Sainte-Marie, was stripped of her Order of Canada appointment. Now, the Polaris Music Prize and the Juno Awards have decided that her collected accolades from both institutions will be rescinded, due to her inability to provide tangible proof of her Canadian and/or Indigenous identity. The Polaris Prize was first awarded in 2006 and honors one full-length musical project created by a Canadian artist annually. Sainte-Marie had been awarded two Polaris Prizes; the first for her 2015 album Power in the Blood and later a Heritage Prize, which awards works that were released prior to the voting body's first ceremony, for her 1964 record It's My Way! 'Our eligibility criteria requires all nominees to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents,' read a statement from the organization, 'With proof of status provided through government-issued documentation, including passports, birth certificates, permanent resident cards, and/or secure certificates of Indian Status.' The Juno Awards has a longer history in Canada. The first JUNOS were called the Gold Leaf Awards and its inaugural ceremony was held in February 1970. Presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) the JUNOS honor new releases from Canadian artists that year, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. Sainte-Marie had received multiple Juno Awards, including the Humanitarian Award in 2017 and Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2018. CARAS also founded the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1978, inducting Sainte-Marie in 1995, meaning she will no longer be part of the group of famed musicians, which includes Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morrisette, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and Leonard Cohen, among others. According to a CARAS press statement, the Academy acknowledges that 'this decision is not a reflection of Ms. Sainte-Marie's artistic contributions.' The statement continued: 'Buffy Sainte-Marie has been a strong supporter and advocate for Canadian music, and we acknowledge the past contributions she has made to our organization. However, CARAS' mandate is to educate, develop, celebrate, and honor Canadian artists. Maintaining the integrity of this process is essential to ensuring the organization continues to fulfill its purpose.' Following the release of CBC's report, Sainte-Marie removed explicit claims of being Cree from her website, however, she maintained that she was Indigenous heritage in public statements. In a new statement responding to her being stripped of the Order of Canada and other accolades, Sainte-Marie said she 'never treated my citizenship as a secret and most of my friends and relatives in Canada have known I'm American, and it's never been an issue.' She added, 'Although it's true that I've never been certain of where I was born, and did investigate the possibility that I may have been born in Canada, I still don't know.' As for her being stripped of her accolades, Sainte-Marie stated, 'It was very lovely to host the medals for awhile, but I return them with a good heart.' Sainte-Marie, 84, retired from live performances in 2023, citing physical injuries and health problems. Her last record was 2017's Medicine Songs. Buffy Sainte-Marie's Polaris and Juno Awards Revoked Following Claims She Fabricated Identity Jaeden Pinder Popular Posts Jon Stewart Calls Out Elon Musk for Flaking on The Daily Show Interview Faster Pussycat Singer's Fiancée Dies After Falling Overboard on '80s Cruise That Band Was Playing Dead Kennedys Legend Jello Biafra Joins Cavalera Onstage for "Nazi Trumps F**k Off": Watch Gene Hackman and Wife's Causes of Death Revealed Monty Python and the Holy Grail Returning to Theaters for 50th Anniversary Hamilton Cancels Show at Kennedy Center Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
The Independent
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Buffy Sainte-Marie suffers more fallout after returning Order of Canada
Folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie has suffered more fallout after returning her Order of Canada following allegations that she fabricated claims of her Indigenous ancestry, which she has denied. The musician and social justice advocate, 84, said she returned the award 'with a good heart' after being stripped of the title in February – and has now had two more honours revoked as a result. CBC, who led the original investigation into Sainte-Marie's heritage, reports that she has had her seven Juno Awards and two Polaris awards taken away from her as she is not Canadian. The Juno Awards are Canada's equivalent to the Grammys. She will also have her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, which occurred in 1994, rescinded. In a press release, the Polaris Music organisation said: 'Our eligibility criteria requires all nominees to be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, with proof of status provided through government-issued documentation, including passports, birth certificates, permanent resident cards, and/or secure certificates of Indian Status.' The singer-songwriter is an American citizen and holds a US passport, but was adopted as a young adult by a Cree family in Saskatchewan. She previously said she had lived with 'uncertainty' about her parentage and unsuccessfully explored the possibility that she was born in Canada. 'I've never treated my citizenship as a secret and most of my friends and relatives in Canada have known I'm American, and it's never been an issue,' she said. Sainte-Marie told the Canadian Press that she made it 'completely clear' to government representatives and to former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau that she was not Canadian when she was asked to perform for Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. Last year, a CBC news report for the show Fifth Estate called into question her Indigenous heritage, discovering a birth certificate that indicated she was born Beverly Jean Santamaria in 1941 in Massachusetts, while both she and her parents were listed as white. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Variety reports that biographical information supplied by Sainte-Marie's team over the years stated that she was born on the Piapot Cree First Nations Reserve in Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, while her 2018 authorised biography also states that she was likely born Cree. The publication reports that her website also once stated that she was 'believed to have been born in 1941 on the Piapot First Nation reserve in Saskatchewan and taken from her biological parents when she was an infant.' In a statement issued on Tuesday (4 March), the singer expressed her 'love and gratitude' to Canada and said she felt 'overwhelmingly grateful that I've been able to make my contribution'. She added: 'It was very lovely to host the medals for a while, but I return them with a good heart.' The official residence of the governor general of Canada said it had also terminated two jubilee medals given to Sainte-Marie in 2002 and 2012, both associated with her membership to the Order of Canada, which she received in 1997. In an email sent in September to CBC, Sainte-Marie's Ontario-based lawyer said: 'At no point has Buffy Sainte-Marie personally misrepresented her ancestry or any details about her personal history to the public.' She said that any perceived consistencies CBC had found in Sainte-Marie's story can be explained by the truth'. In October 2023, Sainte-Marie issued a statement online with the headline, 'My Truth as I Know It,' calling the questions surrounding her heritage 'deeply hurtful allegations'. 'I have always struggled to answer questions [about] who I am,' she said, maintaining that she was 'proud of my Indigenous-American identity, and the deep ties I have to Canada and my Piapot family'. 'What I know about my Indigenous ancestry I learned from my mother,' she said. 'I may not know where I was born, but I know who I am.'
