Tansi Nîtôtemtik,
Image retrieved from: <https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/buffy-sainte-marie-medicine-songs-cree-canadian-indian-donald-trump-bob-dylan-alabama-1-a8149166.html>.
As we continue our week covering influential Indigenous women, today’s post will canvass the successes of Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Sainte-Marie, 78, was born on the Piapot Cree First Nation reserve in the Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, and later adopted to a family in Massachusetts.[1] Sainte-Marie turned to music at a young age, teaching herself how to play piano at 3 years old. This offered her a way to escape from the racism she encountered growing up,
“I learned very fast not to argue with my teachers. In school they said, ‘Columbus discovered America’ or ‘The American-Indian was….’ My teachers told me music was lines and notes and paper […] I never disagreed with them. I just learned to keep my head down and avoid conflict. Then I’d go home and play my own fake-classical music.”[2]
By her teens, Buffy began the quest to uncover her Indigenous heritage, visiting the Piapot Cree First Nation and forming connections with the community.[3] After graduating with honours in Oriental philosophy from the University of Massachusetts in 1963, Sainte-Marie made the decision to move to New York City to pursue a career in music.[4]
Sainte-Marie went on to release her first album, It’s My Way!, in 1964 with Vanguard Records. Billboard magazine named her with the Best New Artist award following its release.[5] To date, Sainte-Marie has released over 20 albums throughout her career, and has released an autobiography titled, Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography. She has used her platform to largely advocate for Indigenous rights and freedoms. Her career has led to multiple awards, including but not limited to, Juno Awards, Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, as well as being inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.[6]
Her latest album, Medicine Songs, is a collection of songs covering themes such as the environment, alternative conflict resolution, Indigenous realities, greed, and racketeering. However, Sainte-Marie notes that the album is not solely “protest songs”, commenting:
“Protest songs are good, they’re important, and they talk about a problem...But there are other activist songs which don’t have a label, but they can enlighten and liberate, inform, motivate or otherwise encourage solutions.”[7]
The ReconciliAction YEG Team congratulates Buffy Sainte-Marie on her achievements, and for using her voice to combat Indigenous issues prevalent across Turtle Island. Kinanâskomitin (thank you).
Until next time,
Team ReconciliAction YEG
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[1] Scott Simon, “Buffy Sainte-Marie's Authorized Biography Serves As A 'Map Of Hope,” National Public Radio (29 September 2018), online: https://www.npr.org/2018/09/29/652791230/buffy-sainte-maries-authorized-biography-serves-as-a-map-of-hope>.
[2] Andrea Warner, “Buffy Sainte-Marie: 75 things you need to know about the Canadian icon,” CBC Music (16 February 2016), online: <https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/12073/buffy-sainte-marie-75-things-you-need-to-know-abou>.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Andrew McIntosh et al., “Buffy Sainte-Marie,” Canadian Encyclopedia (27 March 2018), online: <https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/buffy-sainte-marie>.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] “Biography,” Buffy Sainte-Marie (no date), online: <http://buffysainte-marie.com/?page_id=24>.
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