Indigenous status in Canada has a complex and messy history. For decades, government policies, particularly the Indian Act, have stripped Indigenous peoples of their legal recognition. Laws like Bill C-31 were especially unfair and sexist, causing many Indigenous people – especially women – to lose their status due to marriage. This loss had generational consequences, as families were denied legal recognition and access to rights. Today, many Indigenous people are still fighting to reclaim their status.
In the present day, status remains a prominent issue, though in a different way. Instead of the government actively stripping status away, a new issue has emerged. Pretendians: people who falsely claim Indigenous identity for personal gain.
╚═══════════════════════════╝
What does status actually mean in Canada?
In Canada, status refers to whether a person is registered under the Indian Act as a member of a First Nation or Indian Band. Status holders have access to specific rights and benefits including…
Healthcare: coverage for certain medical, dentist and vision care
Education: Access to funding for post-secondary education through Indigenous Services Canada – Also scholarship opportunities
Tax exemptions: only in specific circumstances, like purchases made on reserves.
However, there are many misconceptions about these benefits. Some people wrongly assume that all Indigenous people receive free housing, do not pay any taxes or attend university for free. These false beliefs contribute to discrimination against indigenous communities. The reality is that many of these benefits are limited, difficult to access and don’t fully address the inequalities Indigenous people continue to face.
╚═══════════════════════════╝
The Problem with Pretendians
While some people uphold prejudice against Indigenous peoples, others falsely claim Indigenous identity to gain benefits and opportunities. These individuals, often referred to as Pretendians, take up space in Indigenous-led initiatives, and receive scholarships and grants that are intended for indigenous peoples. Pretendians not only steal opportunities from Indigenous people but also contribute to erasing real Indigenous voices and experiences. This makes it even more difficult for Indigenous communities to reclaim their identities and fight for their rights. They are manipulating historical and ongoing trauma, exploiting Indigenous identity for their own personal gain. They all have the same backstory, abuse by parents, adoptions, loss of all their identification and birth certificates, and have just battled their whole lives. They prey on non-indigenous people not picking out the flaws in their stories.
One of the most high-profile cases of Pretendian identity fraud is Buffy Sainte-Marie, a widely celebrated “Indigenous” musician, whose ancestry has recently been challenged. Her case highlights the severity of identity fraud and how easy it can be for people to fly under the radar for decades.
╚═══════════════════════════╝
Who Is Buffy Sainte Marie?
╚═══════════════════════════╝
Buffy Sainte-Marie, originally Beverly Jean Santamaria was born on February 20th, 1941. Buffy is a singer, songwriter, activist and educator. Since the 1960s, she has identified as Cree from the Piapot First Nation in Saskatchewan. She was adopted by the Piapot Nation when she was an adult. However, she has given multiple conflicting stories about her birth, at times claiming she was orphaned, taken from her birth family as a victim of the Sixties Scoop (even though she was born before it began), or born on the Piapot First Nation reserve. Her family has since come forward to dispute these claims, arguing that her Indigenous identity is fabricated.
Her alleged false identity took away opportunities from actual Indigenous people. Additionally, she was not even Canadian, adding another layer of complexity to her claims.
Buffy was the first Indigenous person to be on Sesame Street, where she introduced Indigenous culture to a young audience. This was a important moment in representation, bringing Indigneous customs and traiditions into mainstream childrens TV. While education is very important it’s troubling that this representation came from someone who isn’t even Indigenous. Navigating the pros and cons of Buffy’s impact is complicated as she undeniably raised awarness, her identity fraud undermines the very cause she claimed to support.
Throughout her career, she won multiple Juno awards and was recongized for her activism. She received the Order of Canada for her contributions to music and Indigenous rights. However, following the allegations about her identity, the Order of Canada was stripped from her.
We watched the Fifth Estate episode: Making an Icon which was about all the claims and stories around Buffy. It was quite interesting, it was a lot of information to take in and to get my thoughts out I laid them all out on paper:
I would recommend watching the episode: Investigating Buffy Sainte-Maries claims to Indigenous ancestry
What struck me the most was how easy it is to pretend to be Indigenous, especially on such a large scale. And the fact that I (along with many others) had heard nothing about Buffy Sainte Marie shows how little awareness there is about identity fraud like this. It shows the need for further education about topics like Indigenous identity, history and the harm caused by “pretendians.” We really are never done learning.
╚═══════════════════════════╝
The Challenges of Preventing Pretendians
This is a tough issue to navigate. Trying to prevent identity fraud can end up gatekeeping actual Indigenous people from reclaiming their identity. The balance between blood ancestry and lived experience in Indigenous communities is a difficult line to walk. While ancestry is important, indigeneity is also about cultural connection, community and lived experience. Situations like these make it clear that more conversations need to happen about what it means to be Indigenous.
One thing is clear: Indigenous identity is not a costume or tool for personal gain. Real indigenous people continue to fight for recognition, reclaim their identities, and heal from generations of government policies that have stripped them of their status and rights.
So what can we do? We can listen to and uplift Indigenous voices, challenge misconceptions about status and Indigenous rights, and support Indigenous-led initiatives. Remember where you stand when talking about these problems, speak with care and listen to Indigenous perspectives. We always have more to learn. Education is at the center of this – learning about indigenous history, identity fraud and the ongoing struggles Indigenous communities face, helps prevent people like Buffy Sainte-Marie from going unchallenged for so long.
╚═══════════════════════════╝
As a part of this mini project we engaged in a talking circle. During the talking circle, I noticed that I didn’t speak up as much as I had hoped, I struggled to project my voice loud enough and often missed opportunties to share as I waited a second too long. But thats what I will share here instead.
During the circle we discussed these questions:
- What does “status” mean in Canada, and how does it shape identity and access to rights and resources?
- Why do you think some people falsely claim Indigenous identity? What are the consequences of this?
- How has your understanding of Indigeneity, identity, and authenticity evolved through this study?
- What is the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? Where do we draw the line?
- How do media and institutions (universities, arts organizations, government) contribute to the problem of false claims to Indigeneity?
- What responsibility do we have when discussing these issues outside of class?
I have addressed most of these throughout this post but what I have yet to touch on is what our responsibilites are.
So what can we do? We can listen to and uplift Indigenous voices, challenge misconceptions about status and Indigenous rights, and support Indigenous-led initiatives. Remember where you stand when talking about these problems, speak with care and listen to Indigenous perspectives. We always have more to learn. Education is at the center of this – learning about indigenous history, identity fraud and the ongoing struggles Indigenous communities face, helps prevent people like Buffy Sainte-Marie from going unchallenged for so long.
I challenge you to take a second and reflect on these questions yourself and consider your own role in this ongoing conversation.
╚═══════════════════════════╝