All non-Indigenous Canadians have a Treaty responsibility to not interfere with First Nations.

I’m full blooded Indigenous … I was born into my family, I have a status card, I grew up in my home community and my first language is Ojibway-Cree … I’m a brown skinned darked hair Indian … the first 12 years of my life, all I ever knew was my Indigenous culture, family and language.

The whole Buffy Sainte-Marie fiasco is not so much about who can identify, who should say what or who claim identity and how it should be accepted or rejected by anyone.

The biggest issue I have with this is … she lied and continues to lie. If she were more honest and forthcoming about who she really is and why she did what she did … everything would be more acceptable and we could continue to respect the work that she has created.

The questions surrounding all of this is a lot more difficult to answer when millions of dollars of awards, legal issues, and entertainment income are at stake.

  • IninewCrowOPEnglish
    4·
    8 months ago

    In a strange way, I agree with you … it probably wouldn’t have mattered much for the world if we had just stayed ignorant of all this. And you are right, one of the feelings I had from this story was … if these reporters went through so much trouble and research to do all this, why don’t they put those same resources into investigating corporations, government corruption or billionaires evading taxes.

    Unfortunately, the story is out and we all have to deal with it.

    The issue is not so much her identity or who identifies her. The issue is that it came from a place of dishonesty. She started from a lie, grew that lie and lived and benefited off that lie and continues to be unapologetic about it all.

    And the issue it creates is that … if she can do it, others can and possibly, many others are doing so right now.

    I spent my life being ashamed of who I am as an Indigenous person … it is absolutely upsetting to see someone take on that same identity under false pretenses and profit off it.

    • Jaytreeman@kbin.social
      6·
      8 months ago

      My only pushback is that she used her fame to help indigenous people her entire career. If it was from a point of dishonesty, (could have been some type of delusion) she still tried to make the world better. It’s not a Jordan Peterson or Steven Seagal situation where they try to get legitimacy by association and only give lip service.

      But ultimately, this isn’t an issue where my opinion matters much. I don’t have indigenous lived experience beyond close association.

      • IninewCrowOPEnglish
        2·
        8 months ago

        I agree that she did a lot of great work.

        The problem is that it was born out of dishonesty.

        I can accept much of what she’s done over the years but I take it all reluctantly and I can’t accept it all.

        If she had been honest and if she were honest now, everything would be a whole lot easier.

        Instead, the dishonesty continues. The problem with this is that it sets a stage where others can be emboldened to try the same because they know they know they can get away with it.