University of Toronto Revokes Honorary Degree for Buffy Sainte-Marie

The University of Toronto has rescinded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree it awarded to Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2019, the university announced, citing an ongoing controversy over her Indigenous heritage. The governing council approved the revocation on May 13, following a unanimous recommendation from the university’s Standing Committee on Recognition.

In a statement, the university said it received a petition last year to revoke the honorary degree and that the review process concluded with the committee’s recommendation. The university did not provide further details about the evidence it examined or the basis for its conclusion beyond saying the decision followed its standards for recognition.

The move follows renewed public scrutiny that intensified after a 2023 investigation questioned Sainte-Marie’s claims of Indigenous identity. According to descriptions of that reporting, the investigation cited a birth certificate indicating she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts, and referenced statements from U.S. family members who said she was not adopted and did not have Indigenous ancestry. Sainte-Marie disputed aspects of the investigation but has...