Published • loading... • Updated
University of Toronto rescinds honorary degree awarded to singer Buffy Sainte-Marie
The university said only two honorary degrees have been de-recognized since 2023, following a confidential review and a unanimous committee recommendation.
- The University of Toronto rescinded the honorary Doctor of Laws degree awarded to singer Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2019 on Wednesday, following a confidential review process approved by the governing council.
- A 2023 CBC News investigation questioned Sainte-Marie's Indigenous heritage claims, citing a birth certificate indicating she was born in Massachusetts to Italian-American parents, contradicting decades of biographies.
- Sainte-Marie disputed the allegations, calling the report "traumatizing and unfair," while Dalhousie University revoked her honorary degree in January following questions raised by a Mi'kmaw student.
- University officials confirmed that Sainte-Marie and Duncan Campbell Scott are the only two individuals to have honorary degrees revoked since the Standing Committee on Recognition was established.
- With Sainte-Marie having received about 15 honorary doctorates from various institutions, her remaining academic honors face renewed scrutiny following the ongoing controversy surrounding her ancestry claims.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions
35 Articles
35 Articles
University of Toronto rescinds honorary degree awarded to singer Buffy Sainte-Marie
The University of Toronto has decided to rescind the honorary degree awarded to singer Buffy Sainte-Marie seven years ago, following the ongoing controversy over her Indigenous heritage. The university says it received a petition last year to revoke the honorary Doctor of Laws degree that was bestowed upon her in 2019, and that the Standing […]
·Toronto, Canada
Read Full Article
This is the last prize she has lost since a CBC investigation called into question her Aboriginal heritage.
·Montreal, Canada
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources35
Leaning Left10Leaning Right5Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Center
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
44% Center
L 37%
C 44%
R 19%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
