Buffy St. Marie Stripped of Order of Canada Following Ancestry Controversy

Folk singer Buffy St. Marie has been stripped of her Order of Canada, following revelations that she misrepresented her Indigenous ancestry. An official government notice published Friday confirmed that Governor General Mary Simon revoked the honour on January 3, 2025.

St. Marie, long celebrated as an Indigenous musician and advocate, claimed she was of Cree ancestry and born on the Piapot reserve in Saskatchewan. However, a CBC W5 investigation in 2023 uncovered her birth certificate, which listed her birthplace as Massachusetts and her parents as Americans of Italian ancestry, along with a trove of other evidence showing St. Marie fabricated her Indigenous identity.

Her claims of Indigenous identity helped shape her career, earning her widespread recognition and awards, including Junos for Indigenous music. The revocation of her Order of Canada is a rare move, marking a significant fall from grace for the once-revered artist.