Buffy Sainte-Marie, a musician known for decades of Indigenous activism, says she害羞草研究所檚 always been honest that she doesn害羞草研究所檛 know the identity of her birth parents, as a CBC report was expected to question her First Nations ancestry.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know where I害羞草研究所檓 from or who my birth parents were, and I will never know. Which is why to be questioned in this way today is painful,害羞草研究所� Sainte-Marie said Thursday in a statement.

害羞草研究所淭o those who question my truth, I say with love, I know who I am.害羞草研究所�

Sainte-Marie, who害羞草研究所檚 in her early 害羞草研究所�80s, said she was contacted last month by CBC and called allegations about her identity 害羞草研究所渄eeply hurtful.害羞草研究所�

CBC害羞草研究所檚 investigative show 害羞草研究所淭he Fifth Estate害羞草研究所� is scheduled to air an episode titled 害羞草研究所淢aking an Icon害羞草研究所� on Friday. A description of the episode does not name Sainte-Marie but says an icon害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渃laims to Indigenous ancestry are being called into question by family members害羞草研究所� and its investigation includes genealogical documentation and historical research.

Chuck Thompson with CBC said in an email Thursday, 害羞草研究所淏eyond what害羞草研究所檚 in the program description, we have nothing more to add.害羞草研究所�

Sainte-Marie also posted a video on social media addressing the upcoming episode, saying she has shared her story for 60 years. 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�

害羞草研究所淏ut there are also many things I don害羞草研究所檛 know, which I害羞草研究所檝e always been honest about. I don害羞草研究所檛 know where I害羞草研究所檓 from, who my birth parents are or how I ended up a misfit in a typical white Christian New England home,害羞草研究所� she said in the video.

害羞草研究所淚 realized decades ago that I would never have the answers.害羞草研究所�

Sainte-Marie Sainte-Marie became popular in the 1960s for her singing and songwriting, and used her fame to elevate Indigenous issues at a time when they weren害羞草研究所檛 receiving much attention. Her debut record, 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 My Way!,害羞草研究所� featured several notable songs, including 害羞草研究所淯niversal Soldier,害羞草研究所� written about the individual responsibility for war.

The musician also appeared on 害羞草研究所淪esame Street害羞草研究所� and is credited with being the first Indigenous person to win an Oscar. She won for best original song in 1982 for co-writing 害羞草研究所淯p Where We Belong,害羞草研究所� the ballad from the movie 害羞草研究所淎n Officer and a Gentleman.害羞草研究所�

Other accolades include a Gemini, a Golden Globe and the Governor General害羞草研究所檚 Performing Arts Award. She was also named to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1995.

Sainte-Marie has repeatedly spoken about her adoption, saying she is First Nations from Canada but was raised by Albert and Winifred Sainte-Marie, the latter who identified as part Mi害羞草研究所檏maq, in Massachusetts.

Her 2018 authorized biography says there害羞草研究所檚 no official record of her birth. It says she was probably born Cree on Piapot First Nation in the Qu害羞草研究所橝ppelle Valley in Saskatchewan in the early 1940s. Named Beverly, she was nicknamed Buffy in high school.

害羞草研究所淭o be born Cree in the 1940s in Canada was to be a person who was not always counted, at least not in a formal and legal fashion,害羞草研究所� the biography says. 害羞草研究所淏irth records from the time, particularly on reserves, were spotty, and there are countless reports of records being lost or destroyed.害羞草研究所�

The biography says Sainte-Marie was adopted for reasons that are unclear.

Delia Opekokew, the musician害羞草研究所檚 former lawyer, was tasked with delving into Sainte-Marie害羞草研究所檚 Indigenous identity.

Opekokew said in an affidavit that she conducted interviews with First Nations people of the area at that time, including Noel Starblanket, a former national chief of the National Indian Brotherhood, which is now the Assembly of First Nations.

Starblanket shared oral history saying family had explained that Sainte-Marie was born north of Piapot to a single woman害羞草研究所渨ho could not care for her,害羞草研究所� and then gave the baby to an American family who happened to be in the area, the affidavit said.

Sainte-Marie said Thursday that her 害羞草研究所済rowing-up mom,害羞草研究所� Winifred Sainte-Marie, told her she was adopted and may have been born 害羞草研究所渙n the wrong side of the blanket,害羞草研究所� meaning born out of wedlock.

Accounts of her life say Sainte-Marie searched for answers about her birth family early in her career, which led her to a Saskatchewan couple 害羞草研究所� Emile Piapot, grandson of then-chief of the Piapot reserve, and Clara Starblanket, daughter of the chief of the File Hills reserve.

The biography says the couple 害羞草研究所渞eportedly had a daughter taken from the reserve around the time Sainte-Marie was born.害羞草研究所� Other accounts say the couple had other children who died. About 1964, Sainte-Marie was adopted as an adult through Cree traditions into the Piapot family.

害羞草研究所淏ut we never have known whether I害羞草研究所檓 a (biological) relative or not,害羞草研究所� Sainte-Marie says in the book.

Sainte-Marie, who announced she was retiring from live performances earlier this year, referred to her relationship with Piapot in a podcast earlier this month, calling parts of the story an urban legend.

Throughout her career, conflicting stories about her adoption have been published. Some say she was an infant, others that she was two to three years old when she was taken by the American family. Some say her birth parents died, and her mother was killed in a car crash.

害羞草研究所淚 was adopted into the Piapot family, not I was adopted out of Piapot reserve. That makes a big difference.害羞草研究所�

The Piapot family said in a statement that allegations against Sainte-Marie are 害羞草研究所渉urtful, ignorant, colonial 害羞草研究所� and racist.害羞草研究所� They said the singer was adopted in the traditional way.

害羞草研究所淲e claim her as a member of our family and all of our family members are from the Piapot First Nation. To us, that holds far more weight than any paper documentation or colonial record keeping ever could,害羞草研究所� the family said.

CBC has reported on numerous notable people who have claimed to be Indigenous, including acclaimed film director Michelle Latimer, former judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond and former University of Saskatchewan professor Carrie Bourassa.

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