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Just did a search and don't see this topic being discussed. I think it should matter to Canadians.
We have a woman of European descent from Massachusetts perpetrating a fraud on the Indigenous People of Canada for her personal profit and benefit. She perpetrated a fraud on the Canadian Government and Indigenous People by claiming more than 16 awards over 30 years specifically intended for Indigenous People of Canada. For 60 years, she benefited from falsely claiming to be from Canada and Indigenous - adoption, dead mother, unwed mother, sixties scoop when she was too old for that. All a fraud.
It sucks for those directly involved, but in many ways it's a perfectly contradictory story for our times.
On the one side it has apparently brought down one of the earliest and most powerful icons of progressivism, activism and pro-diversity ideology.
On the other she's ironically been brought down by the very stuff her side (arguably having evolved towards today's "wokism") espouses today, like witch hunts in terms of ideological and ethno-racial "purity", cancel culture, no forgiveness for transgressions even in cases of good faith, etc.
It's a weird situation with Buffy Ste. Marie. On the one hand, she actually was adopted later in life by a family on the Piapot reserve in Saskatchewan and has spent significant time in that community where people know her. It is notable that the Piapot chief came out after all this came to light and said as far as he is concerned, she is still a part of his community, since she was adopted and is somebody everyone has known for decades.
On the other hand, this isn't some straight up case of culture trumping genetics. Buffy hasn't been presenting herself as an ethically European woman who has assimilated to native culture and a native community. She has been misrepresenting herself to the world as something she is not, for profit. I think people being upset at being lied to about her actual personal history is hardly unreasonable.
I heard an interview on CBC where an indigenous person said something along those lines and I think it is one of the sillier things said. Reporters seldom if ever take into consideration the impact their stories have on the victims or perpetrators of a crime, or on communities.
I accept that she is legitimately adopted by an indigenous tribe. Her claim to have been adopted by a white American couple FROM an indigenous tribe as baby has been shown to be false through and through by a birth certificate. It has NO similarities to the author's own story of having to choose an identity of either Metis or First Nation. It has nothing to do with the 60s scoop.
And arguing that Truth and Reconciliation has anything to do with the fact that Buffie claimed a birth ancestry she did not possess is so - so DUMB. What has "truth" to do with a falsehood? The tribe adopted her on the basis of a falsehood she told.
I heard an interview on CBC where an indigenous person said something along those lines and I think it is one of the sillier things said. Reporters seldom if ever take into consideration the impact their stories have on the victims or perpetrators of a crime, or on communities.
I accept that she is legitimately adopted by an indigenous tribe. Her claim to have been adopted by a white American couple FROM an indigenous tribe as baby has been shown to be false through and through by a birth certificate. It has NO similarities to the author's own story of having to choose an identity of either Metis or First Nation. It has nothing to do with the 60s scoop.
And arguing that Truth and Reconciliation has anything to do with the fact that Buffie claimed a birth ancestry she did not possess is so - so DUMB. What has "truth" to do with a falsehood? The tribe adopted her on the basis of a falsehood she told.
In my mind, any person who is authentic, sincere and well integrated *should* be able to be adopted into an Indigenous community as one of their own, if the community so desires. I do know that in this day and age we seem to be returning to a form of ethno-racial purity that is making this less and less possible. (And it's ironic who is pushing for this - but that's another topic.)
That said, it's largely irrelevant to the Buffy Ste-Marie controversy because in her case there seem to be a lot of inconsistencies in her story, in many instances of her own doing as she seems to have contradicted herself a lot over the years.
Not that I have any interest in taking her down or seeing her taken down. But there are still the available facts as I see them.
In my mind, any person who is authentic, sincere and well integrated *should* be able to be adopted into an Indigenous community as one of their own, if the community so desires. I do know that in this day and age we seem to be returning to a form of ethno-racial purity that is making this less and less possible. (And it's ironic who is pushing for this - but that's another topic.)
That said, it's largely irrelevant to the Buffy Ste-Marie controversy because in her case there seem to be a lot of inconsistencies in her story, in many instances of her own doing as she seems to have contradicted herself a lot over the years.
Not that I have any interest in taking her down or seeing her taken down. But there are still the available facts as I see them.
Is “Sainte-Marie” a common surname among some tribes?
I heard an interview on CBC where an indigenous person said something along those lines and I think it is one of the sillier things said. Reporters seldom if ever take into consideration the impact their stories have on the victims or perpetrators of a crime, or on communities.
I accept that she is legitimately adopted by an indigenous tribe. Her claim to have been adopted by a white American couple FROM an indigenous tribe as baby has been shown to be false through and through by a birth certificate. It has NO similarities to the author's own story of having to choose an identity of either Metis or First Nation. It has nothing to do with the 60s scoop.
And arguing that Truth and Reconciliation has anything to do with the fact that Buffie claimed a birth ancestry she did not possess is so - so DUMB. What has "truth" to do with a falsehood? The tribe adopted her on the basis of a falsehood she told.
Don't yell at me, lol. I just posted the article for information. I'm the whitest person you know, and I think it's appalling that she has played everyone for 60 years.
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