New documentary threatens to tarnish folk singer’s reputation as a cultural icon who fought tirelessly for social justice movements
Allegations in a documentary that the popular American folk singer Buffy Sainte-Mariehave rattled First Nations communities in Canada, where she claims to have been born, highlighting the complex legacy of an artist whose decades-long career is defined by advocating for Indigenous rights.
Delia Opekokew, Sainte-Marie’s former lawyer, who is Cree, has disputed the claims and recently signed an affidavit that concludes Sainte-Marie was probably born in Saskatchewan in a private home and soon after was given up for adoption to an American family visiting the area. She also spoke with Noel Starblanket, the former national chief of the National Indian Brotherhood, which later became Assembly of First Nations. She says Starblanket’s account is corroborated by others she has spoken with.
In a written statement in response, Sainte-Marie said she had “always struggled to answer questions about who I am” and had in the past instructed her lawyer to discover information about her background. She said her “growing-up mother” had told her many things “including that I was adopted and that I was native but there was no documentation as was common for Indigenous children born in the 1940s.”. She added: “I may not know where I was born, but I know who I am.
“You don’t do that kind of stories without preparing the possible possibility that you might be triggering many people. And it triggered thousands of people, including myself.for reporting “pretendian” stories, said it reached out to members of the Piapot family, but received no response. The CBC also says it reached out to the acting chief of Piapot First Nation to arrange a visit to the community, but the chief declined.
But others say that Sainte-Marie’s history and career highlight the complexity and tangled nature of identity. Kim Wheeler, a Manitoba-based writer who recently worked as a producer on aof Sainte-Marie, says the Juno category Indigenous artist of the year largely exists because of the singer’s trailblazing career.
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