Canada has terminated the Order of Canada honours for singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, citing no reason for the decision. The termination comes after a 2023 CBC investigation raised serious doubts about her claims to Indigenous identity.
Buffy Sainte-Marie received the Order of Canada in 1997 and was later promoted to Companion of the Order in 2019. However, history of her ever being an Order of Canada recipient has been removed from the Governor General’s website.
The termination follows a period where Sainte-Marie initially defended herself against questions about her Indigenous identity but eventually removed reference to her Cree heritage from her official website. This move sparked shock among Indigenous communities in Canada and calls for her to be stripped of other awards.
Sainte-Marie, now 80 years old, had made Indigenous identity central to her music and activism throughout her career.
Source: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/buffy-sainte-marie-order-of-canada