Buffy Sainte-Marie speaks out regarding questions of Cree ancestry | APTN News 

What I found most upsetting were details of her threats against family members who might call her out. Just sad.

What she did to her brother is unconscionable.

Ugh, the black-mail letter she sent her brother was evil! A chilling insight into her psyche! It has really put me off!

It's super easy - do a DNA test. The family alleges she has lied and she has said many times that she was of many tribes. It is hard to believe her after so many stories. It's actually really heart breaking considering how many Native people did not get the stage because of her. The allegations come from other

As someone who is status First Nations myself, I am disgusted with Buffy Sainte-Marie. She has been lying to us all these years and she deserves all the scrutiny she gets,

She couldn't have been born "on the wrong side of the blanket" by an American mother and also have been "scooped" at some point from Canada. There are lies upon lies here. And to have threatened her own brother with more lies about him being a "sexual predator" to shut him up on the question of her identity is reprehensible. The treatment of her birth family in Massachusetts was horrific. Having taken the place of a true indigenous person, having stolen music awards and honours, she should apologise and give the awards back.

What she did to her brother is atrocious, as a member of a family with real abuse issues, it makes me sick., no one waits for the opportunity to expose an abuser to cover their own really big lies, that is just one more really big lie.

It’s ridiculous to claim her as a biological Cree because she was accepted as an adult into a Cree family. I understand it’s a beautiful tradition…their law etc … and this means she is spiritually accepted into their family etc. but there is also biology, reality, truth and fact…and claiming she’s actually an Indigenous Canadian Cree dishonours the woman who gave birth to her.

Buffy reminds me of iron eyes cody,and even looks a bit like him.He was sicilian.She also looked like she dyed her hair darker than it really is,and wears heavy dark makeup.When she was young she had an olive skin tone,and looked italian.

A liar, blackmailer,fraud and cheat. The letter to her brother shows the depth of her evil intentions.

The worst part of this _to me_ is that the younger generations of the adoptive Piapot family may not realize yet that Buffy told Emile and Clara Piapot that she might be their missing (actually scooped) daughter. I don't think the Piapot family has seen the old, old interviews where people from that community say Buffy was at a pow wow on Manitoulin Island (nowhere near Piapot reserve) and saying she didn't know who her birth family was, which attracted the attention of people from Piapot reserve _who knew of Emile's search for his actually missing daughter._ Whoever Buffy met at that pow wow hooked her up with the Piapots who became convinced she was the missing daughter. If Buffy caused Clara and Emile Piapot to stop looking for their missing daughter, I think that's unconscionable and horrifying. It could be true that the Piapots would have always adopted Buffy based on her story about searching for a family, but if she tricked them and made them never find the scooped daughter... I think the Piapot family should know.

We should be proud of who we are. I would think that a simple DNA test would at least show if Buffy has indigenous heritage. There is something very sad about claiming to be someone you are not.

What a pathetic sociopath. What she did to her brother was beyond disgusting.

The niece and Buffys son did do a DNA test. They are related. Buffy is white. But it appears many Indigenous dont care anyways... I think its messed up because her Cree grandparents adopted her way back then because she said she was an Indigenous adoptee so she lied to them. Basically, Buffy has lived every pretendians dream; to claim an Indigenous identity that furthered her career so much so shes got a mansion in Hawaii. Traditons are important but she was adopted into her Cree family based on lies.

i just watched the documentary and i found the saddest part the part where she accused her brother of molesting her after he tried to reach out to newspapers to clarify that she was not native (or i think now it was sesame street confirming if they were native?). I mean maybe it's true but after all the other stuff she said it's just hard to be sure if it was just another lie uttered to scare him off. And I mean if it is a lie, that really is a shitty thing that his daughter has to now wonder if her father was a pedophile. Reading his words, it does not line up with the kind of person he sounded like. I mean yeah she did good things for native people in terms of representation but if a person is doing that to their own family to preserve their lie, damn do you want that kind of person representing you?

It is disturbing to watch a pathological liar continue to deny, scramble, gaslight and threaten her own family just for revealing the TRUTH. HEY BUFFY!! The truth will set you free.

lts just very sad for her real parents, and brother. :(

She looks just like Winifred Santamaria - the mother Buffy claims adopted her.

Heartbreaking story of a woman who has been living a lie. As a Canadian I am completely bewildered and upset. She has the order of Canada, multiple Juno awards and we embraced her as our own. You can only imagine how we feel now. Buffy you need to come clean and ask for forgiveness.

Her Stoneham MA birth certificate is absolutely authentic. It lists the hospital, the name of the doctor, and is in sequential order. Her high school picture shows an ordinary girl with light skin, but as she got older she mysteriously got darker. They have dark makeup in CVS.

Her biological family were good to her, from what her childhood videos show. It looks like she had a happy childhood. A much happier one than many of us had. And I read her grandfather was very musical, owned many instruments, and influenced her. All of which gave her the background and emotional stability to launch a long, successful career. She could have used her good fortune and obvious talent to sing about indigenous people without pretending to be one. Instead, she threatened her family into silence so they'd be too scared to expose her lie (including accusing her brother of molesting her, but only to threaten him into silence, she never mentioned it before that). Most are still too scared to talk. And now she exposes her dead mother (who can't speak anymore), saying she was born "on the wrong side of the blanket". These could be true. But they're coming after a whole bunch of lies. Hey Buffy, if you hate your family that much, I'd love to have taken your place among them.

Order of Canada Awarded on: April 17, 1997 Invested on: May 07, 1998 Born of Cree parents on the Piapot Reserve in Saskatchewan, she is a musician of international stature,.. The Order of Canada should be recinded from this American born, Italian decent woman. There are sooo many Canadian Aboriginal Women deserving of this honour, not her.

All she has to do is take a DNA test. But we all know she won't.

Her interview when she was younger had different tone and accent. She certainly sounded more "native" when she was older.

Super easy way to do this - the Ste. Marie's can do a DNA test and you'll have your answer. Imagine being a parent and your child denies that you are not the parents. And to threaten your family. When anyone says "this is MY truth" always be suspicious of them as My truth is different than the truth.

As her entire career and many awards are largely based around the idea that she's Native American, it's vital that she agrees to a DNA comparison with the family who raised her (the nieces and nephews now speaking out) to prove she's not related to them. This is an astounding and opportunistic lie to maintain one's whole life, a life purporting to be dedicated to social justice. But if it's not a lie, that is scientifically provable. Just spit in a tube and let the scientists do their job. I have no time for people who pretend to be from oppressed minorities because they deprive people from those minorities of opportunities with what they're doing. It's the worst type of deception. Buffy was a hero of mine growing up so I really hope none of this is true. But if it is, then I'm happy to admit that I was as deceived as everyone else.

Buffy, Dude, why can’t you just be proud of being Italian-American?? 💁🏻‍♀️

I’m glad this came out while she is still alive. Now before she goes we can look her in the eye.

Says she was born in Saskatchewan then where's her treaty status??? The Canadian government has documents to prove who gets a treaty card and who doesn't.

She said she was part of the 60s scoop (apparently taken when she was 2 or 3) but she was born in 1941....

I'm glad to see the comments highlighting what she did to her own flesh and blood brother. Reprehensible.

Buffy: ""To those who question my truth, . . ." Thinker: Truth is not a personal choice.

I think just the fact that she's now saying that she may have been born "on the wrong side of the blanket " tells you everything. The fact that her story keeps changing is definitely a sign. She talks about out of respect for her mother she didn't mention it but isn't that disrespectful to your mother to tell everyone that you were adopted? Especially trying to blame your dead mom for a lie that you told? Im sure she had her reasons and issues why she would lie but to make a career based on her identity and to let people believe something that isn't true is next level.

They gotta loosely throw the term “racist” around! Of course! Accusing someone of claiming to be something they are not is not racist!! Everyone up until recently loved and embraced her throughout Canada AND her native heritage. Suddenly her honesty with the public is being questioned and we are now racists apparently for doing so. Unbelievable!

I know the Indigenous community is deeply disappointed -- but why must celebrities be the measure of the community's success? Indigenous people don't need Buffy to lift them up. There must be countless everyday heroes and achievers in the community who truly deserve recognition and who are bona fide role models and sources of inspiration.

This is sad. I am really conflicted. On one hand, she lied for 60 years and denied her true Italian family. On the other hand, she brought awareness to native folks and Canadians at large. She touched millions with her voice. It's a shame it may have all been built on lies.

I can't believe this 😮

My whole childhood has been shattered. But she can end all this by taking a DNA test. The fact that she hasn't speaks volumes.

I think buffy is suffering from some type of mental illness that hasn't been properly looked into. These cases are happening quite often. It isn't right what she did, I also grew up with her on sesame Street and I loved her music. I'm also adopted so I was really connected to that. I have native relatives but aren't native myself. This is a strange phenomenon that is automatically going to hurt and confuse people. But I think she got herself caught in a lie many years ago and didn't know what to do when so many people were looking at her. We're all only human yes, but I really do think this has something to do with mental health. It could also be the reason she wanted people to connect and forgive each other from different groups. It seems all these years she could have been echoing her own inner struggle with her lie. What should happen is that she admits what she's done. She can't control how people feel about what she did, but it's what she should do and try to explain her actions and reasoning. Maybe we can change the titles of the previous awards she's won instead of revoking them. She's done a lot for the native community and remember, her son is native. It's a part of her now. You don't have to forgive her full out, and I realize very well what she's done, but from a logical perspective it's obvious it was more than about money. If you really listened to this woman over the years, you'd know she always gave credit due to whoever she worked with or wanted to put a spotlight on. She always mentioned everyone's names and the great work they were doing. I don't think she really meant it deep down. I think she put herself into a social prison. And when her brother threatened to tell the world, she was afraid they would see the prison she had stuck herself in, and was afraid how the world would have laughed at her behind her own bars. So she decided to live that way and hide that prison from everyone else who didn't know. She seems to have a conciounce of some kind and I assume she may have subconscious guilt that may have even lead to her advocacy. I think she did a lot of good and maybe it's about time we look into these types of situations and try to figure out what makes a person become like this. But everyone was a victim of her actions, even her. It's tricky to really get down to the details on how to deal with these things. This is just my perspective. I can't speak for anyone else. But I just find it disheartening when people spiral secretly out of control and I really believe she genuinely feels the way she does about the people in her life. The spiraling of one person can bring everyone else around them down with it. This would even be a great opportunity for her to reconnect with the side she rejected. If her native family stays with her, maybe they could all connect. I think wisdom is the best healer, again that's just my opinion. If we can rehabilitate an individual we should. In fact, if we can, a lot more good can be done here, but unfortunately it has a low likelihood of happening. For years Buffy spoke about the truth. I always find it so poetic the way truth can eventually reveal itself. I wish nothing but healing and positivity for everyone, please don't become offended by anything said here, just a progressive perspective and my observation of what I believe occurred here.

Maybe people assumed she was native when she started her career and it was bringing her attention so she just went with it.

Where’s the DNA evidence. That’s the only definitive evidence needed. 🇨🇦

Due to a clerical oversight, I was not recorded as the father of our daughter in the Saskatchewan Registry of births, many long years ago. A DNA test set that straight in a hurry, for about $250.

This just shows how far a good liar can go! When you see the birth family photos, it is clear her big brother looks so similar to her and many of her relatives have that same Italian nose!

I think I found a misprint of her name on her birth certificate as well… should read BLUFFY St. Marie 😂

Grey owl and milli vanilla wrapped up together 2023

There are no words to properly describe what a horrible person she is. Decade after decade of lies and deceit, including accusing her brother of being a sadistic pedophile. Shame!

Watched the investigative report. She sounds like a psychopath, definitely a narcissist.

Buffy came up when there were LOTS of pretty young women folksingers, inspired by Joan Baez, looking to make it. As the showbiz adage goes, you gotta have a gimmick to break through, and she certainly found hers and fully committed; it worked until it didn’t, which is right now.

Wow, what a waste of a legacy. And what a massive case of cultural appropriation!

How disappointing. I always looked up to her. But the way she treated her brother is indefensible. She evidently believes her own myths, at this point. 😢

SHE IS CREE leave HER ALONE she HAS DONE MUCH GOOD to THE EARTH --- LOOK AT THAT ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Buffy The Truth Slayer.

The CBC video, has her own family stepping forward, they tried back in the 70s but Buffy threatened her brother with legal action. Also a personal note to her brother saying if you keep pressing this, she is going to accuse him of molestation, which later she did and its a super touchy subject. She says she doesn't have a birth certificate, yet they got one easily. Showing she is in fact European. So, now, being adopted sure excellent, but if her bloodlines are Italian or white, would be having this conversating if she was black ? She used lawyers to silence her real family, they showed the lawyer letters, that's manipulation at its most expensive. I am not sure, i would be so quick to stand by someone who did that, anyone else we would of canceled them, but she is old and close to our community she seems to be getting a pass. So, that will open the doors that we wont be able to close.

As a native Hawaiian who previously looked up to her I am very disturbed and as a musician truly bummed. What's gnawing at me now is she resides in a town where my ancestors are from and owns a farm where most Hawaiians do not own land at all. She has taken far too much from indigenous folks and benefited from it. She is worse than colonialism she is a monster.

My husband i adioted a daughter in Texas in 1988. After the adpotion was finalized we were ussued a new biryh certificate for her that list the 2 of us as her parents. There is nothing on that new certificate that indicates it was an adoption. What the original certificate says we dont know since it was a closed adoption thru an agency.

I grew up seeing Buffy Sainte-Marie. But is saddened me to hear she lied and did warned her brother not to speak the truth. I hope Buffy return the Order of Canada.

Buffy: "I realized decades ago that I would never have the answers." Strange way of thinking. Check with the CBC.

She crafted this lie (three different bands in one year) and knowingly perpetuated it, see how aggressive she was in her clip? She used it to get recognition and eventually accepted awards within indigenous specific categories. First she needs to apologize to the people then return the awards, otherwise she's just another colonizer stealing from the Natives.

The public’s adulation for pop singers have never ceased to amaze me.

My husbands Italian and im British. My daughter is as pasty white as i am and my son is as olive as my husband. Just to say its not unusual that her complexion is so different to her supposed biological siblings. One thing that bothers me about the 5th estates report is this idea that adopted kids in the 40s were given birth certificates in Massachusetts. They didn't explain or explore this very well. Other things that bother me, is she implying now that her mother had an affair with someone who was native? That's a huge change in her story! Her letter to her brother talks about her memory of abuse and not simply "you abused me." Seems like an odd way to write something so raw and emotional and leaves me wondering if her alligations of her brothers abuse are legitimate. I find this all really disturbing, and as much as i dont put much stock into the 5th estates reporting (ever), i find that those interviewed seemed to have legit concerns and reasonable proof.

Maybe someone should nominate her to lead the Columbus Day Parade.

She's actually Italian

The Piapot First Nation has spoken. That is the final word, in my opinion.

At the very least for the rest of us, who do not claim to own the land, sea and sky since the beginning of time and for eternity, you could provide dna evidence of this special privilege ancestry. Us non indigenous who do not belong on this planet get confused on the many different races and ethnicities of indigenous, please enlighten

Very easy to settle the issue, get a DNA test and compare it to her living relatives

The truth always comes out

She is the ultimate George Costanza

HG Tudor’s channel has an excellent profile of Buffy Sainte Marie. Well worth checking out.

It's the constant lying that people can't ignore, whichever side your on.

She's a old Italian lady leave her alone

Anyone who has done something wrong should reflect. Especially if they weren't exposed or held to account. Buffy Saint Marie used her platform for the past 50 years to bring awareness to indigenous causes, language, art and culture to the exclusion of almost everything else. After leaving the coffee house, she and her story would be able to walk away, like almost every other coffee house performer. This was the outcome she probably expected. That's not what happened. She was a rare exception. She attached herself to a history that wasn't hers, she wasn't entitled to, but once attached, she dedicated her life to it. You can't turn back time. Her deceit deserves criticism but her music and dedication does not.

😖How disrespectful to her blood family who raised her, she shunned them away and said she was adopted. PLUS her blackmailing her brother!!!! Unbelievable. I have lost all respect for this woman. She won so many Indigenous awards...like, those could have gone to an ACTUAL Native person!!! I'm Native myself and its hurtful to see these "pretendians" prancing around in regalia...being Native isn't just about some feathers in your hair, unfortunately it comes with a lot of intergenerational trauma and what not. And I get that she admires the culture but to deceive everyone to the level that she did is crazy... I'm glad the truth has come out.

Oh my God her story keeps changing her birthday certificate is proof that she is Italian American born in Massachusetts what a insult to her bio parents to deny them. Sure she was adopted into the Piapot family. She's rich and famous😂

My favorite Buffy Sainte-Marie song is Soldier blue

I recognize and respect that Buffy Sainte-Marie was adopted by the Piapot family and that in their traditions that means she is now a member of their tribe. But that doesn't change the fact that she lied about her ancestry and nationality, shunned her own biological family, blackmailed her brother, and represented a culture that she did not belong to for years before she even met the Piapots. And that is why I think what she did is unethical and not right. She did not experience the 60s scoop like she claims. She does not have the trauma that actual scoop victims have had to live with. Her story is not her own. Whether or not the Piapots adopted her is beside the point. She appropriated other people's trauma and culture for her own benefit. I see a lot of people say that it's all in the past, that the work she has done has been good for Indigenous people and representation, that it's all water under the bridge. Ultimately, I agree, that we need to move forward, that race really does not matter in the big scheme of things, that we should forgive and move on. I honestly feel that is a healthy way to see it. But I also see a lot of Indigenous and Canadian people who are very hurt by what she did. I see her family is hurt by what she did. That's hard to ignore, and I don't think it should be ignored. She has caused damage to real people. I would rather not condone this sort of thing in the future.

From the updated Wikipedia page: Buffy Sainte-Marie Birth name Beverly Jean Santamaria Born February 20, 1941 (age 82)[1] Stoneham, Massachusetts, U.S.[2] Buffy Sainte-Marie, CC (born Beverly Jean Santamaria; February 20, 1941[1]) is an Italian American[2] singer-songwriter, musician, and social activist.

All those years of all of us thinking you were a Canadian Cree...now the truth is being revealed...Liar and Fraud...Shame Shame.😡

Greenwich Village era Bob Dylan made up crazy origin stories to build a mystery….then he stopped. Buffy didn’t

also as a makeup artist she clearly uses foundation to darken her skin

If false. DNA test , then sue the paper . So easy. If not, this story will stick.

No excuse for lying, ever !!!

She just does not stop lying.

Never crossed my mind!

Has dentified variously as Algonquin, Mi'kmaq, Cree, but not so much as Italian American. Her real ancestry is probably far more interesting than her faux, assumed ancestry.

I like Buffy, however I have many questions even after watching fifth estate and listening to Sunday magazine. Why is this allegation coming out now, why have we not heard anything about this before, it's been what over 60 years? The supposed family that is speaking out against her, where have they been all these years. Many questions are not answered. I don't know much about DNA testing but that as many are saying, could prove some truths? Do it Buffy if this is hurting you, what have you to lose. Also, records can be changed once someone has been adopted especially after all those years ago. Finally, after seeing her brother and sister, she certainly looks very different from them, not sure this makes a difference as genetics are sometimes odd. So, many questions.

DNA test will show: half Italian, half English (with some Irish). Forcing big smiles and wearing feathers and being socially adopted into a native family doesn't change your DNA.

The CBC doc mentions a surviving sister. I know she is said to be too scared to say more than a few words on a phone interview, but her voice seems needed in this mess. If Buffy was being abused in that house like she claims, and even raising the issue with her parents like she says in her book, the sister would have heard something. It's a serious charge; you don't want to dismiss such a terrible accusation out of hand simply because she has a record of telling untruths. But that man deserves some vindication if he was traduced by his celebrity sister simply to score pity points and sell her book.

Another day another deceitful scandal swirling around someone famous who has been a hero to many. I almost feel sorry for her, having to volley the details around all these years, being asked about it in all interviews… and surely interviewers are always asking because right from the start it didn’t add up and rumours circulated. Disheartening but these things no longer surprise us much, do they? It just keep happening.

I’m not sure I’d be doubling down in this situation. Gather your facts, present your ONE version of the truth.. (not the many). Stand in your conviction of what you know or didn’t but don’t name various nations as your heritage depending on the year.There is so much wrong with her story. The native community wants to believe you Buffy so drop the emotion and settle on one story. The worst posture is to make yourself a victim which I suspect is exactly what you’ll do. Lots of ppl are misguided in their heritage. That could have been forgiven many years ago... but this?? Unlikely.

the episode of "The Fifth Estate" nailed it - and has many native American professionals denouncing her claims

The Truth Always finds a Way of bringing Itself into The Light.....Buffy needs to see a Psychiatrist....

What a terrible mess . I applaud the Piapot family for wanting to defend her and offering her to learn about Indigenous peoples. I appreciate the advocacy Buffy did . But in reality it was all lies .. She clearly was born in Massachusetts and the evidence is undeniable. It’s not colonialism or a lynch mob either . It’s clear Buffy used the Indigenous angle to gain financially wealth . She received Juno Awards and the Order of Canada . Do ppl even realize how serious this is? It is right up there with Parliament acknowledgment of a Nazi . A fraud is a fraud period. I would feel more empathy but her actions towards her own family who tried to plead with her to be truthful. She attacked them with threats from her lawyer . Made allegations against her older brother . She ripped her own family apart pretty much . The different degree of lies of her being Micmak etc…Then claiming to be a part of the 60’s scoop? What kind of sociopath was she to say that? I am Metis with multiple family members and their friends who were involved with that . How sick is she to use that to gain empathy, sympathy, support? What a disgusting situation all around and I feel for her real family members who lived in fear of her.

Tell the truth😢

This is troubling to hear since I grew up with her music as a kid.

She should come clean and apologize. Does she think her legacy will stay intact going to the grave with her life based on lies. She should be stripped of awards and the juno given to an actual indigenous person.

Wow …denial denial …give the money back plzzzzzz

Buffy looks EXACTLY like her "adoptive" mother....watch the documentary again...

She is a grey Owl

Did she pay no taxes, this could be serious trouble for her. Time to Lawyer up. So sad I love her music.

Oh come on people. She needs to cut the LYING & admit that her lies have finally caught up to her. She should just tell the truth & apologize. But to continue to LIE is an INSULT to her fans, & her family.... Not to mention the people she claims she loves so much - the Crees. ESPECIALLY her adopted family. I as a fan, will forgive her if she comes clean. But I'm MORE heartbroken that she CONTINUES to LIE. Then for her to allow her adopted family to have the AUDACITY to play the "race card" when that's what she's literally spent a LIFETIME doing - instead of admonishing her to take RESPONSIBILITY for her actions & apologizing to those she's hurt & insulted. Where is her INTEGRITY & her honor??? She has none. Anyone who would threaten their own BROTHER that way??? Knowing that that's the worst thing to EVER label someone - a child molester??? She KNEW that would shut him up. This woman is a MANIPULATOR plain & simple. That is what will definitely make me lose ALL respect for her. A disgrace.