The University of Toronto has rescinded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree awarded to folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2019, as institutional consequences over her disputed Indigenous ancestry continue to mount.
The university announced the revocation followed a confidential review process that concluded with approval from its governing council. The degree had originally recognised Sainte-Marie’s contributions to music, the arts and social advocacy.
The decision deepens the fallout from a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) investigation published by its programme The Fifth Estate in October 2023, which cited a birth certificate indicating Sainte-Marie was born in Massachusetts to Italian-American parents. That finding directly contradicted decades of biographical records and press coverage describing her as Algonquin, Mikmaw and later Cree.
“This has been incredibly re-traumatizing for me and unfair to all involved,” Sainte-Marie told The Hollywood Reporter following the CBC report, adding that she viewed the findings as an attack on her character full of mistakes and omissions.
Sainte-Marie rose to international prominence as a folk star in the 1960s, performing music rooted in her claimed Cree heritage. She later appeared on Sesame Street and in 1983 co-wrote Up Where We Belong from An Officer and a Gentleman, earning an Oscar and becoming widely recognised at the time as the first Indigenous person to receive the honour. She announced her retirement from live performances in August 2023, citing health concerns.
Toronto’s move follows a similar revocation by Dalhousie University in January, prompted by questions raised by a Mikmaw student. With Sainte-Marie holding approximately 15 honorary doctorates from institutions including the University of British Columbia, the University of Regina and Carleton University, several more academic honours now face renewed scrutiny.
The University of Toronto noted that only two honorary degrees have been withdrawn since its recognition review committee was established in 2023, the other belonging to Duncan Campbell Scott. Columbia University professor Audra Simpson, who is Kanienkeh:ka from Kahnaw:ke, told CBC she hoped the decision would send a clear message to institutions about accountability.
