CBC says legendary musician Buffy Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 birth certificate, other documents and details from family members contradict the singer害羞草研究所檚 claim that she is Indigenous.

Sainte-Marie said Thursday ahead of the report 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.

She 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�

CBC located her birth certificate, which says Sainte-Marie was born in 1941 in Stoneham, Mass., and the document lists the baby and parents as white.

CBC says Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 marriage certificate, a life insurance policy and a United States census corroborate the information on the birth certificate.

Family members in the U.S., including Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 younger sister, told the public broadcaster that Sainte-Marie was not adopted and does not have Indigenous ancestry.

Indigenous people are grappling with doubts over singer Buffy Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 First Nations bona fides after a CBC story Friday raised questions about her Indigenous ancestry and renewed debate about who gets to speak for whom.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like telling people Santa Claus doesn害羞草研究所檛 exist,害羞草研究所� said Tracy Robinson, member of the Indigenous Women害羞草研究所檚 Collective.

害羞草研究所淲ho does that?害羞草研究所�

Sainte-Marie said Thursday ahead of the CBC report that she doesn害羞草研究所檛 know who her birth parents are and she considers 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�

Many defend the much-loved musician, saying she害羞草研究所檚 never used Indigenous heritage to get ahead and has long and strong ties with a Saskatchewan Cree community.

But others say if Sainte-Marie is lying about her past, it silences those who did suffer wrongs.

害羞草研究所淚t takes away our authentic voice and takes away spaces from Indigenous people who really need that,害羞草研究所� said Crystal Semaganis, a survivor of the 害羞草研究所�60s Scoop, which refers to the thousands of Indigenous children who were adopted into families far from their original culture.

Controversies over so-called 害羞草研究所減retendians害羞草研究所� have erupted in recent years, with critics saying they take opportunities and resources away from those for whom they were meant.

Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 case is different, said Eleanore Sunchild, an Indigenous lawyer and professor.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a big difference between people who know they害羞草研究所檙e not Indigenous but continue the false narrative and people like Buffy who honestly don害羞草研究所檛 know where they originate.害羞草研究所�

Far from benefiting, Sainte-Marie has taken risks because of what she believed to be her identity, Sunchild said.

害羞草研究所淪he was advocating when it was dangerous to be an advocate. She put herself on the front lines.害羞草研究所�

As well, Sainte-Marie has long and intimate ties with what she calls her home community of Piapot First Nation, northeast of Regina.

害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 always going to be our auntie and there害羞草研究所檚 nothing anyone can do about it,害羞草研究所� said niece Ntawnis Piapot.

Piapot said her family supports Sainte-Marie and she dismissed CBC害羞草研究所檚 presentation of the singer害羞草研究所檚 American birth certificate as 害羞草研究所渃olonial record-keeping.害羞草研究所�

Sunchild also questioned the document, saying many such records from that era were falsified.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e seen adoptees with birth certificates with names and locations that match the locations of the adoptive parents,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 know that the records aren害羞草研究所檛 accurate.害羞草研究所�

But being adopted into a family isn害羞草研究所檛 the same as being appointed to speak on behalf of anyone, said Indigenous writer and journalist Drew Hayden Taylor.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 their right,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut can that member of my family speak for the entire Indigenous nation? That害羞草研究所檚 another discussion.害羞草研究所�

Still, he argued that Indigenous communities get to decide on their membership.

害羞草研究所淚t used to be the dominant culture got to decide everything. That害羞草研究所檚 changing now.害羞草研究所�

Something may be amiss with Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 account of her past, he added.

害羞草研究所淲here there害羞草研究所檚 smoke, there害羞草研究所檚 fire. A good chunk of the Canadian Indigenous community are Buffy fans and this is casting a big dark cloud over that community.害羞草研究所�

The story, if true, is painful, he said.

害羞草研究所淚t does do harm. I think there害羞草研究所檚 just as much done if the truth isn害羞草研究所檛 exposed.害羞草研究所�

The singer害羞草研究所檚 social media feed was dozens deep Friday with posts expressing support, and Hayden Taylor said Sainte-Marie is more than loved by many Indigenous people.

害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 spent so many years in the hearts of North American Indigenous people, I don害羞草研究所檛 think this will affect her (stature) at all.害羞草研究所�

The Indigenous Women害羞草研究所檚 Collective has exposed other cases of dubious identity, but Robinson called the CBC story an 害羞草研究所渦ninvited truth害羞草研究所� that comes from outside the Indigenous community. She fears debate over its conclusions could divide Indigenous people.

害羞草研究所淭his is traumatizing people because it害羞草研究所檚 uninvited truth. Indigenous people are feeling attacked.

害羞草研究所淭he only thing we can really learn from this is about ourselves and our propensity to divide ourselves.害羞草研究所�

Semaganis said Sainte-Marie can continue to be a beacon of creativity and human rights, but the picture may have to change.

害羞草研究所淓verybody loves Buffy Sainte-Marie. I love Buffy Sainte-Marie. The songs that she wrote did come from a spiritual place, and I honour her Piapot family that adopted her.

害羞草研究所淚 know it害羞草研究所檚 going to take a while for my people to come to terms with it, but I hope that people make space in their lives for the truth, and we can still continue to love Sainte-Marie.害羞草研究所�

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