Junos still considering how to 'best proceed' with Sainte-Marie's Indigenous wins

Buffy Sainte-Marie celebrates her Juno for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards in Vancouver, Sunday, March, 25, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Leaders at the Juno Awards say they’ve yet to decide the fate of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s many honours with the music organization, days after it was confirmed she was stripped of her Order of Canada.

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences says it continues to consult with its Indigenous music advisory committee and other Indigenous stakeholders on how to “best proceed” with Sainte-Marie’s honours.

Junos organizers first said they would look into how to handle her five Juno wins in 2023, after a CBC report questioned Sainte-Marie’s Indigenous heritage, saying it found a birth certificate that indicated she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts.

Family members in the United States told CBC that Sainte-Marie was not adopted and doesn’t have Indigenous ancestry.

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

Four of Sainte-Marie’s five Junos were won in Indigenous categories. She also was a recipient of the humanitarian award and inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Last week, the government gave notice that Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada appointment was terminated by an ordinance signed by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Jan. 3.

A representative for the office of the Governor General confirmed it was the ninth termination in the history of the honour, but said the office does not comment on the specifics of termination cases.

“CARAS is aware of the decision of Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to cancel Sainte-Marie’s Order of Canada. We continue to consult with our Indigenous Music Advisory Committee and Indigenous stakeholders on how to best proceed as it relates to Sainte-Marie’s Juno Awards,” the organization said in a statement.

“We recognize the importance of Indigenous music as a category and remain deeply committed to promoting, celebrating and honouring the contributions of Indigenous artists to the Canadian music industry.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025.