Buffy Sainte-Marie, wearing a shining dress and long necklace, was led on the stage by a group of Indigenous people in traditional regalia after she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Her iconic dark hair and fringe hung long as she told the crowd about the importance of artists from remote communities.
害羞草研究所淢ost especially in the whole wide world, I害羞草研究所檇 like to acknowledge all the grassroots Indian artists who haven害羞草研究所檛 yet taken home a Juno, but who continue, as they have in the past, to capture our hearts at powwows across Canada, doing that magic which music does so well,害羞草研究所� Sainte-Marie said to applause.
Those words now ring hollow for some Indigenous musicians after a recent CBC News report raised doubts about the singer害羞草研究所檚 ancestry.
Some musicians say they were disappointed to learn they may have lost career-shaping industry awards to someone who may be neither Indigenous nor Canadian. They say it amounted to lost opportunities at critical times in their careers.
害羞草研究所淛uno winners have toured the country and the world, and the runners-up get to play the neighbourhood pubs and occasional summer festival,害羞草研究所� said Billy Joe Green, an Anishinaabe rock and blues musician who was a nominee for Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2009 when Sainte-Marie took home the honour.
害羞草研究所淩esentful? I can害羞草研究所檛 afford that luxury.害羞草研究所�
Sainte-Marie has received numerous Junos, the $50,000 Polaris Music Prize in 2015 and a Polaris heritage award for her 1964 debut album 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 My Way!,害羞草研究所� among a slew of other honours.
The story of her birth, childhood and identity has shifted throughout her six-decade career, with her identifying as Algonquin and Mi害羞草研究所檏maq before saying she was Cree, adopted from a mother in Saskatchewan.
However, CBC located her birth certificate, which says Sainte-Marie was born in 1941 in Stoneham, Mass. The document lists the baby and parents as white and includes a signature of an attending physician. CBC said Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 marriage certificate, a life insurance policy, the United States census and interviews with family members corroborate the information on the birth certificate.
Sainte-Marie, 82, said in a statement the day before CBC害羞草研究所檚 story ran that she doesn害羞草研究所檛 know who her birth parents are or where she害羞草研究所檚 from, but called herself 害羞草研究所渁 proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada.害羞草研究所�
While Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 career was skyrocketing in the 1960s, Green was also trying to make it in music, never surrendering to 害羞草研究所渢he day-to-day rejection, racism and to the many number of obstacles害羞草研究所� that came his way.
A life害羞草研究所檚 work culminated with the Juno nomination for his album 害羞草研究所淔irst Law of the Land害羞草研究所� in 2009. While Sainte-Marie took home the hardware and accolades, Green said his opportunities evaporated and he struggles to make a decent living despite playing better than he ever has.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e accepted 害羞草研究所榣ife on life害羞草研究所檚 terms害羞草研究所� for the most part,害羞草研究所� Green said in an online message to The Canadian Press. 害羞草研究所淵et, I害羞草研究所檓 still reflecting on this very unpleasant circumstance that confronts all who lost opportunities.害羞草研究所�
Karmen Omeasoo, who performs under the name HellnbacK, was nominated the same year as Sainte-Marie as part of the hip-hop group Team Rezofficial.
He first met Sainte-Marie as a child, with his mother explaining that she was an icon, so he understood losing to someone of her stature.
害羞草研究所淚f we get beat by her, who cares?害羞草研究所� Omeasoo said in an interview. 害羞草研究所淚f one of us wins, we all win. That害羞草研究所檚 what it felt like 害羞草研究所� I held onto that.害羞草研究所�
Now that feeling is gone. He thinks about all the Indigenous musicians who could have won and what it would have meant for their careers 害羞草研究所� recognition, radio play, touring opportunities, record sales.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 feeling very duped. Like something was taken from me. Something was taken from all these other artists,害羞草研究所� he said.
Omeasoo said he can only speak for himself, not all Indigenous musicians. But, he said, the revelations have shaken him to his core. He imagines how meaningful it would have been to bring the Juno back to his First Nation in Maskwacis, Alta.
害羞草研究所淚 could have brought that hardware back home to my mom, my dad, my grandma, my kids.害羞草研究所�
He continues to create with his wife, Lisa Muswagon, under the name The Resilience, but said it害羞草研究所檚 a constant battle to make music and provide for their children.
Chester Knight, who was nominated alongside Sainte-Marie in 1997, said his album 害羞草研究所淔reedom害羞草研究所� should have won the Juno because his was actually an album for Indigenous people. The song 害羞草研究所淟ove Me Strong害羞草研究所� was 害羞草研究所減opular then and has grown to be even more popular now,害羞草研究所� he said.
There have been calls for the Junos to rescind Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 awards. An emailed statement said the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Junos, is aware of doubts about Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 ancestry.
害羞草研究所淲e are processing the information presented and are consulting with our Indigenous Music Advisory Committee, other community members and key stakeholders,害羞草研究所� the statement said.
Knight, who is from Muskoday First Nation in Saskatchewan, said the Juno Awards mean a lot to the artists competing for them.
害羞草研究所淚t is unfair to my brother and sister artists who grow up in poverty and racism, and are somehow able to create something of emotional value like I did,害羞草研究所� he said in an email.
害羞草研究所淎rtists have to raise a family and balance a music career and a job career to fuel the production of an album.害羞草研究所�
Black Bear, a drum group from Manawan First Nation in Quebec, was nominated in the same category as Sainte-Marie for 害羞草研究所淐ome and Get Your Love: The Tribe Session害羞草研究所� in 2016. The group said in a message to The Canadian Press they 害羞草研究所渨ork and walk in truth and this includes being true to yourself, your family and friends.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e certainly don害羞草研究所檛 know where to stand considering what (Sainte-Marie) has done for Indigenous artists and done to those same artists as well by taking away opportunities like Junos.害羞草研究所�
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