Lori Campbell, a ’60s Scoop survivor and a VP at the University of Regina, challenges the CBC’s motives in their exposé on the questionable Indigenous roots of Buffy Sainte-Marie, legendary singer-songwriter.
Last week, a CBC investigation accused Buffy Sainte-Marie, the legendary singer-songwriter, of lying about her Indigenous roots.
I immediately knew it was a big story, one we journalists in the Canadian media would be called to cover. But I had a strong reaction: I didn’t feel it was our story to cover.
Sainte-Marie had already come out on social media ahead of the story and explained she had been claimed by the Piapot Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan. And from earlier conversations on the Don’t Call Me Resilient podcast as well as articles written by expert scholars about so-called “pretendians” — those faking an Indigenous identity — I knew kinship ties were maybe even more important than genealogy tests when it comes to establishing Indigeneity.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Kinship is based on who claims you and based on Sainte-Marie’s response and also that of the Piapot Nation, she’s been claimed.
Isn’t that enough and shouldn’t we leave this retired 82-year-old alone? That was my first instinct. To not add fuel by covering the story.
But then I heard from Lori Campbell, a Two-Spirit Cree-Métis educator and advocate who made me realize there is a conversation to be had about this story. She joined me on this week’s Don’t Call Me Resilient to explore the story from a social responsibility perspective, especially the responsibility of Canadian media.
She asks whether Canadian media are telling this story in service of truth and reconciliation or are they telling the story in a sensationalist way, in service of furthering their careers?
Campbell is from Treaty 6 territory in northern Saskatchewan and a member of Montreal Lake First Nation. She was taken away from her birth family and adopted into a rural white family in the ‘60s Scoop, and only reunited with her biological family decades later. She is currently the Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Engagement at the University of Regina. She’s also a PhD candidate in social justice education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Campbell is also a member of the board of The Conversation Canada.
Sesame Street/PBS, CC BY-NC
Read more in The Conversation
Read more:
Revelations about Buffy Sainte-Marie’s ancestry are having a devastating impact on Indigenous communities across Canada
Read more:
We need a better understanding of race, ‘status’ and indigeneity in Canada
Read more:
Fraudulent claims of indigeneity: Indigenous nations are the identity experts
Read more:
We are facing a settler colonial crisis, not an Indigenous identity crisis
Read more:
Disenfranchising Indigenous women: The legacy of coverture in Canada
Read more:
Becoming Indigenous: The rise of Eastern Métis in Canada
Read more:
How some North Americans claim a false Indigenous identity
Read more:
Sacheen Littlefeather and ethnic fraud – why the truth is crucial, even it it means losing an American Indian hero
Read more:
How to decolonize journalism — Podcast
Read more:
Stolen identities: What does it mean to be Indigenous? Don’t Call Me Resilient Podcast EP 8
Resources
If you are experiencing trauma or feeling triggered, help is available 24/7 for survivors and their families through the Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. Mental health support is available through the Hope for Wellness chatline at 1-855-242-3310 or using the chat box at hopeforwellness.ca.
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Felecia Phillips Ollie DD (h.c.) is the inspiring leader and founder of The Equality Network LLC (TEN). With a background in coaching, travel, and a career in news, Felecia brings a unique perspective to promoting diversity and inclusion. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Communications, she is passionate about creating a more inclusive future. From graduating from Mississippi Valley State University to leading initiatives like the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Felecia is dedicated to making a positive impact. Join her journey on our blog as she shares insights and leads the charge for equity through The Equality Network.
