Buffy Sainte-Marie (born Beverley Jean Santamaria;[1] February 20, 1941[2]) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and social activist.[3]
Sainte-Marie's singing and writing repertoire includes subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism, and her work has often focused on issues facing Indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada. She has won recognition, awards, and honors for her music as well as her work in education and social activism. In 1983, her co-written song "Up Where We Belong", for the film An Officer and a Gentleman, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 55th Academy Awards.[4][5] The song also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song that same year.[6]
Since the early 1960s, Sainte-Marie claimed Indigenous Canadian ancestry, but a 2023 investigation by CBC News concluded she was born in the United States and is of Italian and English descent.[1] Some Indigenous musicians and organizations called for awards she won while falsely claiming an Indigenous identity to be rescinded.[7][8][9][10][11] In 2025, many of her awards and honors were revoked, including her membership in the Order of Canada, her induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, her Juno Awards, and her Polaris Music Prizes.[12][13]
