By Canadian Press

Saskatchewan First Nation chief says Buffy Sainte-Marie should take DNA test

Nov 30, 2023 | 12:48 PM

The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation that has been thrust into the controversy over Buffy Sainte-Marie’s ancestry says the legendary singer and songwriter should take a DNA test to provide a definitive answer about her heritage. 

Piapot First Nation acting Chief Ira Lavallee says he believed the narrative from Sainte-Marie that she had lineage and parentage connected to the southern Saskatchewan community. 

However, after a CBC report in October raised questions about her Indigenous heritage, he says he’s no longer sure.

CBC located the singer’s birth certificate, which says she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts and lists the baby and parents as white.

Family members in the United States, including a younger sister, told CBC that Sainte-Marie was not adopted and does not have Indigenous ancestry.

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Sainte-Marie has said the CBC report had mistakes and omissions, adding she has never lied about her identity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.

The Canadian Press