Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie defended her claims to Indigenous ancestry in her first public response to a CBC investigation questioning her heritage. A spokesperson for CBC says it stands behind its reporting.

Buffy Sainte-Marie’s claims of Indigenous ancestry are being called into question by family members and a Fifth Estate investigation that included genealogical documentation, historical research and personal accounts.

The singer-songwriter tells a story about performing for Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at the National Arts Centre in 1977.

The Indigenous music icon speaks with CBC’s Eli Glasner about Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On and how she has used her songs to bring awareness to Indigenous issues for six decades.