Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada terminated by governor general – National Post
No reason was given but the termination comes after a 2023 CBC investigation raised serious doubts about the singer’s claims to Indigenous identityYou can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.OTTAWA — Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada has been terminated, with history of her ever having been appointed scrubbed online.Notice was posted on the government’s official publication late Friday that Governor General Mary Simon had cancelled Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada through an order she signed in early January.Friday’s posting was signed by the secretary general of the Order of Canada.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Don’t have an account? Create AccountNo reason was listed for Sainte-Marie’s termination. In a statement, the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General said it does not comment on the specifics of termination cases, but added that an advisory council makes recommendations to the viceregal when it comes to both appointments and terminations.The termination comes after a 2023 CBC News investigation raised serious doubts about her claims to Indigenous identity. The singer-songwriter, now in her 80s, had long made Indigenous identity a central feature of her music and activism.While she initially defended herself against questions of her Cree heritage, Sainte-Marie’s official website eventually removed reference to her being born on Piapot First Nation, located outside of Regina.The revelations sent shock through Indigenous communities across Canada and led to some calling for her to be stripped of awards.Sainte-Marie, who accumulated many accolades and prestigious honours over her decades as a musician, was awarded the Order of Canada, long seen as one of the highest honours an individual in Canada could receive, back in 1997.In 2019, she was honoured with a promotion.As of late Friday, history of Saint-Marie ever having been an Order of Canada recipient had been removed from the Governor General of Canada’s website.An archived version of Sainte-Marie’s biography read that she had been “born of Cree parents on the Piapot reserve in Saskatchewan” and was an internationally celebrated musician and “a Native rights activist.”A response from a media representative for Sainte-Marie has not yet been returned. On her website, Sainte-Marie was still listed as an “officer of the Order of Canada” and “companion of the Order of Canada.” She announced she was retiring from performing live in August 2023.National Poststaylor@postmedia.comGet more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.Katherine wanted a style that would be chic, versatile, playful and easy to manageWe tried the chocolates and they’re magnifiqueStream the game on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025Discover new brands with the Made in Canada storefrontCo-founders of Veronica Beard dish on Canadian expansion.365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4© 2025 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.You can manage saved articles in your account.and save up to 100 articles!You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.
Source: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/buffy-sainte-marie-order-of-canada
