Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie returns Order of Canada award WSOC TV [Video]

Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie said she returned her Order of Canada award “with a good heart,” adding that she never lied about her identity.

It was the 84-year-old singer’s first statement since she was stripped of the award earlier this year, CBC reported. She said that she is an American citizen and holds a U.S. passport, but added that she was adopted as a young adult by a Cree family in Saskatchewan.

The action comes more than one year after an investigation that found that Saint-Marie allegedly lied about her Indigenous heritage, People reported.

Governor General Mary Simon ended the appointment for the Academy Award-winner on Jan. 3. The order was signed by Ken MacKillop, the secretary general of the Order of Canada. The notice was posted in the government’s official publication on Feb. 7.

The Governor General’s website said that non-Canadians are eligible for the honor “if their contributions have brought benefit or honour to Canadians or …