Oscar-winning people singer Buffy Sainte-Marie has been stripped of her honorary diploma as fallout over her disputed claims to Native American ancestry continues to develop.
The College of Toronto introduced Wednesday that it has rescinded the singer-songwriter’s honorary doctorate of legal guidelines, which she obtained in 2019 for her work in music, the humanities and social advocacy.
A college spokesperson stated the choice adopted a confidential evaluate course of that ended with approval from the college’s board of trustees.
The choice comes two and a half years after CBC’s “The Fifth Property” revealed an investigation into Indigenous identification claims in Sainte-Marie in October 2023.
The report cited a start certificates displaying that Sainte-Marie was born in Massachusetts to Italian-American mother and father, contradicting many years of biographies and media protection describing her as Algonquin, Mi’kmaq and later Cree.
Final 12 months, Sainte-Marie advised the Canadian Press that she was a U.S. citizen with a U.S. passport and was adopted as a younger grownup by a Cree household in Saskatchewan.
Sainte-Marie turned a serious people music star within the Sixties and incessantly carried out music associated to her claimed Cree heritage.
She later appeared on “Sesame Road” and gained an Academy Award in 1983 for co-writing “Up The place We Belong” from “An Officer and a Gentleman,” changing into the primary Indigenous particular person to win the award.
Sainte-Marie introduced her retirement from performing in August 2023, citing well being points and bodily challenges related to touring.
The College of Toronto stated solely two honorary levels have been revoked because the faculty created its recognition evaluate committee in 2023. The opposite belonged to Duncan Campbell Scott.
Audra Simpson, a professor at Columbia College and Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke, referred to as the choice overdue.
“A becoming consequence for him and for her, each of whom acted upon the imperatives of settler colonialism in several methods and at completely different instances,” Simpson advised CBC.
“I hope this sends a message.”
Toronto’s choice comes simply months after Dalhousie College stripped Sainte-Marie of one other honorary diploma in January following questions raised by a Mi’kmaw pupil.
Sainte-Marie has obtained about 15 honorary doctorates through the years from colleges together with the College of British Columbia, the College of Regina and Carleton College, placing extra of her educational honors beneath elevated scrutiny.
After the CBC investigation aired in 2023, Sainte-Marie blasted allegations that she had faked her Native American ancestry, calling the reporting “traumatic and unfair.”
“This has been extremely traumatic for me and unfair to everybody concerned,” she advised The Hollywood Reporter.
“The assault on my character is stuffed with errors and omissions,” she stated.
Sainte-Marie additionally accused her ex-brother Alan – whose allegations had been offered within the investigation – of sexually assaulting her.
“It hurts me deeply to search out out that my ex-family grew up fearing me and considering these lies due to a letter I despatched in an try to guard myself from additional abuse from my brother,” she stated.