CBC says legendary musician Buffy Sainte-Marie91裸聊视频檚 birth certificate, other documents and details from family members contradict the singer91裸聊视频檚 claim that she is Indigenous.

Sainte-Marie said Thursday ahead of the report that she doesn91裸聊视频檛 know who her birth parents are or where she91裸聊视频檚 from.

She called herself 91裸聊视频渁 proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada.91裸聊视频�

CBC located her birth certificate, which says Sainte-Marie was born in 1941 in Stoneham, Mass., and the document lists the baby and parents as white.

CBC says Sainte-Marie91裸聊视频檚 marriage certificate, a life insurance policy and a United States census corroborate the information on the birth certificate.

Family members in the U.S., including Sainte-Marie91裸聊视频檚 younger sister, told the public broadcaster that Sainte-Marie was not adopted and does not have Indigenous ancestry.

Indigenous people are grappling with doubts over singer Buffy Sainte-Marie91裸聊视频檚 First Nations bona fides after a CBC story Friday raised questions about her Indigenous ancestry and renewed debate about who gets to speak for whom.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 like telling people Santa Claus doesn91裸聊视频檛 exist,91裸聊视频� said Tracy Robinson, member of the Indigenous Women91裸聊视频檚 Collective.

91裸聊视频淲ho does that?91裸聊视频�

Sainte-Marie said Thursday ahead of the CBC report that she doesn91裸聊视频檛 know who her birth parents are and she considers herself 91裸聊视频渁 proud member of the Native community with deep roots in Canada.91裸聊视频�

Many defend the much-loved musician, saying she91裸聊视频檚 never used Indigenous heritage to get ahead and has long and strong ties with a Saskatchewan Cree community.

But others say if Sainte-Marie is lying about her past, it silences those who did suffer wrongs.

91裸聊视频淚t takes away our authentic voice and takes away spaces from Indigenous people who really need that,91裸聊视频� said Crystal Semaganis, a survivor of the 91裸聊视频�60s Scoop, which refers to the thousands of Indigenous children who were adopted into families far from their original culture.

Controversies over so-called 91裸聊视频減retendians91裸聊视频� have erupted in recent years, with critics saying they take opportunities and resources away from those for whom they were meant.

Sainte-Marie91裸聊视频檚 case is different, said Eleanore Sunchild, an Indigenous lawyer and professor.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 a big difference between people who know they91裸聊视频檙e not Indigenous but continue the false narrative and people like Buffy who honestly don91裸聊视频檛 know where they originate.91裸聊视频�

Far from benefiting, Sainte-Marie has taken risks because of what she believed to be her identity, Sunchild said.

91裸聊视频淪he was advocating when it was dangerous to be an advocate. She put herself on the front lines.91裸聊视频�

As well, Sainte-Marie has long and intimate ties with what she calls her home community of Piapot First Nation, northeast of Regina.

91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 always going to be our auntie and there91裸聊视频檚 nothing anyone can do about it,91裸聊视频� said niece Ntawnis Piapot.

Piapot said her family supports Sainte-Marie and she dismissed CBC91裸聊视频檚 presentation of the singer91裸聊视频檚 American birth certificate as 91裸聊视频渃olonial record-keeping.91裸聊视频�

Sunchild also questioned the document, saying many such records from that era were falsified.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e seen adoptees with birth certificates with names and locations that match the locations of the adoptive parents,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚 know that the records aren91裸聊视频檛 accurate.91裸聊视频�

But being adopted into a family isn91裸聊视频檛 the same as being appointed to speak on behalf of anyone, said Indigenous writer and journalist Drew Hayden Taylor.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 their right,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淏ut can that member of my family speak for the entire Indigenous nation? That91裸聊视频檚 another discussion.91裸聊视频�

Still, he argued that Indigenous communities get to decide on their membership.

91裸聊视频淚t used to be the dominant culture got to decide everything. That91裸聊视频檚 changing now.91裸聊视频�

Something may be amiss with Sainte-Marie91裸聊视频檚 account of her past, he added.

91裸聊视频淲here there91裸聊视频檚 smoke, there91裸聊视频檚 fire. A good chunk of the Canadian Indigenous community are Buffy fans and this is casting a big dark cloud over that community.91裸聊视频�

The story, if true, is painful, he said.

91裸聊视频淚t does do harm. I think there91裸聊视频檚 just as much done if the truth isn91裸聊视频檛 exposed.91裸聊视频�

The singer91裸聊视频檚 social media feed was dozens deep Friday with posts expressing support, and Hayden Taylor said Sainte-Marie is more than loved by many Indigenous people.

91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 spent so many years in the hearts of North American Indigenous people, I don91裸聊视频檛 think this will affect her (stature) at all.91裸聊视频�

The Indigenous Women91裸聊视频檚 Collective has exposed other cases of dubious identity, but Robinson called the CBC story an 91裸聊视频渦ninvited truth91裸聊视频� that comes from outside the Indigenous community. She fears debate over its conclusions could divide Indigenous people.

91裸聊视频淭his is traumatizing people because it91裸聊视频檚 uninvited truth. Indigenous people are feeling attacked.

91裸聊视频淭he only thing we can really learn from this is about ourselves and our propensity to divide ourselves.91裸聊视频�

Semaganis said Sainte-Marie can continue to be a beacon of creativity and human rights, but the picture may have to change.

91裸聊视频淓verybody loves Buffy Sainte-Marie. I love Buffy Sainte-Marie. The songs that she wrote did come from a spiritual place, and I honour her Piapot family that adopted her.

91裸聊视频淚 know it91裸聊视频檚 going to take a while for my people to come to terms with it, but I hope that people make space in their lives for the truth, and we can still continue to love Sainte-Marie.91裸聊视频�

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