Buffy Sainte-Marie is the latest public figure accused of being a ‘Pretendian.’ Here’s why that matters

Buffy Sainte-Marie is latest accused of being a ‘Pretendian’

CBC News’ October 27 investigation alleges that Sainte-Marie was not born on the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada, and adopted by a White family as she has claimed for most of her career. Rather, the CBC suggests that she was born to White parents in the small town of Stoneham, Massachusetts.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is the latest public figure accused of being a ‘Pretendian.’ Here’s why that matters

A CBC investigation recently raised questions around the folk singer’s claims of Indigenous ancestry. The allegations are resurfacing a debate over what it means to be Indigenous.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is the latest public figure accused of being a ‘Pretendian.’ Here’s why that matters

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN (CNN) — When there were few other Indigenous celebrities in the spotlight, there was Buffy Sainte-Marie. The celebrated singer-songwriter rose to prominence during the folk revival of the 1960s, building a name as a Cree artist. She sang about the injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples in songs such as “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone,” “My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying” and “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” She s…