Introduction of who and why I began to research Buffy Sainte-Marie, the iconic famous singer, actress, and artist (October 2022 - February 2023)
Following is the Time Line of Buffy Sainte Marie ... of which I began building/constructing/mapping out since mid-to-late November of 2022.
But before we get into the Time Line itself in the next post, let me EXPLAIN a few dynamics, as to how I became INVOLVED in this matter, naive as I was (sort of) to the Pretendian Dynamics here in the Northeast.
In late October to early November 2022, there was a "vibration" or should I say a "rumble" of tectonic proportions in "something" afoot ...
It (my involvement) began when Jacqueline informed me that she was tracking & mapping the genealogical ancestors of Beverley J. Santamaria's parent's ancestors. Keeler shared with my person on November 02, 2022, the developing Tree on Buffy Sainte-Marie, the iconic "folk" singer. I was asked to be a genealogical contributor, working on the Tree within Ancestry.com ...
Jacqueline Keeler was doing the necessary objective research protocols genealogically to confirm the "adopted" parentage of Beverley "Buffy" Jean Santamaria.
Yet it was indeed SHOCKING retrospectively to my person, that Mrs. Keeler would suspect "Buffy" of not being who the icon claimed to be? I mean, she's been around longer than I have been on the planet alive, and 60+ years out of her 80+ years of life, she's been known as (or advertised) as an born & raised Indian Cree woman!
My own mental reaction was that Jacqueline Keeler MUST be "off-her-rocker" paranoid, and was falsely accusing Buffy of being a Pretendian. I resisted the notion for about a week, but then I got more curious, asking myself, could it be true? So I began to do the protocols of objective research myself.
I sought out everything I could get my hands on, from CD's to Records, to Newspaper articles, and even vital records as well. I didn't just start with Buffy's Birth Record, but expanded my research deeply and as wide as I could. If she was born in Carven, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1941, I would hopefully find the objective evidence, through immigration record, naturalization, border crossing, and/or adoption records. I found nothing of the sort.
Jacqueline Keeler, is a Native American writer, journalist, and activist, enrolled in the Navajo Nation and of Yankton Dakota descent, who co-founded Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry. After the "Sacheen Littlefeather" Maria Louise Cruz (November 14, 1946 – October 2, 2022), I knew that Jacqueline Keeler was wary of attracting vile vitriolic attention to herself and family by many online detractors, conspiracy theorists and online gas-lighters, who sought to disparage her, in their defense of Pretendians.
The initial "plan" was that I would do a blog much like this one, publish it, as I am now, retrospectively back in 2022 or early 2022, and then Jacqueline Keeler could do an Buffy Exposé, but I was very cautious and aware of the ramifications of such a matter as this could be to people's mental well-being, including Buffy Sainte-Marie herself, and her family relatives too. So I wasn't comfortable in sharing my Time Line with anyone, expect with CBC's special investigative reporter Geoff Leo in early 2023.
If Buffy was indeed born in Cree Territory, CBC would have much more resources and awareness of where those documents and Cree Elders, et al would be, or so I surmised.
Jacqueline Keeler kindly asked of my person in mid-November, whether or not a Beverley Jean Santamaria born February 20, 1941 in Stoneham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, could, in fact, BE the famous Buffy Sainte-Marie (St. Marie) ?
She showing a document (the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Birth Index) in email, of a Beverley Jean Santamaria born February 20, 1941 in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
Throughout Buffy's career, I began to realize that there were numerous compiled conflicting stories about her adoption, etc. which have been published. Some newspapers, magazines, books and people in interviews, were saying Buffy was an infant, others that she was two to three years old when she was taken by the American family. Some say her birth parents died, and her mother was killed in a car crash. Some were saying her birth date was February 20, 1942 (instead of 1941).
Thinking on the matter, I responded to Jacqueline Keeler, that as an Adoptee (twice in childhood) myself, my thinking was that the Massachusetts Birth Index wasn't valid objective evidence of any adoption dynamic whatsoever. I also informed Mrs. Keeler (or someone else), would need to objectively obtain the actual Birth Record of February 20, 1941 from Stoneham, Massachusetts. Jacqueline Keeler requested if I could look into this matter. I did.
Within 10 minutes I was on the telephone with the Stoneham, MA Town Clerk, and they validated that they had possession of the Certificate of Live Birth on that date for a Beverley Jean SANTAMARIA, and that for $22.00 payable by check, money order or through Unipay (online), they would send such record to me, certified. I immediately requested the Birth Record, and paid online. Within the week I had the Birth Certificate, but it had no first or middle name on it. This was certified on November 28, 2022. Talk about confusion on my part! I then telephoned the Town Clerk's Office and inquired as to why the Certified Copy does not have a birth name on it? They, unbeknownst to my person, had already mailed another Certified Copy of the Birth Record with Beverley Jean Santamaria on that one (Certified on December 02, 2022).
For these Birth Record images SEE below, in the Time Line.
On November 29, 2022, David Cornsilk posted on social media (Face Book) this post regarding the MA Birth Index mentioning Beverley Jean Santamaria, thus alerting his detractors across social media to his involvement in the matter:
David Cornsilk was referring to this December 02, 2022 post by Elaine "Lainey" Sainte-Marie born St. Marie:
CLARIFICATION: The ONLY person who did the AncestryDNA testing was Elaine St. Marie herself. No other immediate family members of 'Buffy' have been detected having done genetic testing, contrary to Mr. Cornsilk's incorrect beliefs on that matter, as stated in late November 2022.
Mrs. Keeler was sent a tip in October 2022 that Buffy Sainte-Marie, the iconic singer, was not an adoptee, but Jaqueline had ignored it, that is, UNTIL she watched the Buffy documentary, airing on PBS.
Asking my person to do some research, Keeler expected me to place the research on a blog, and then she would "take it from there" breaking the story to the media. That didn't happen ...
Meanwhile, I was telling Keeler that the research was already giving me 'concern' because the research on this icon Buffy Sainte-Marie was quickly becoming more and more serious. I informed Jacqueline Keeler that (quote) We NEED to keep the matter "quiet" and between a select few, UNTIL the ducks are lined up.
Having discerned David Cornsilk's November 29, 2022 posting on FaceBook's group "History" admittedly I was quite upset, because the research was still incomplete in compiling all the data. It was still very much was a 'work-in-progress' ...
On December 03, 2022, I digitally sent through FaceBook Direct Message, the no-first or middle name indicated Certified Birth Certificate I had received from the Town Clerk of Stoneham, MA to Jacqueline Keeler.
On December 05, 2022 that morning I sent to Jacqueline Keeler, the photographed Birth Certificates (Certified) of which I had received in the mail from Stoneham, MA, to her through FaceBook Direct Messaging.
Jacqueline Keeler, several days later, in Twitter (now "X") posted she herself was investigating a famous "Native" voice in the music industry. And that it appeared to be another Pretendian case. In response to her Twitter post, detractors spewed vitriol against Jaqueline Keeler across all social media day and night 24-7, slinging libelous nonsense.
As I continued to do the research, pulling the data together into the Time Line, piece by piece, it was eluded to my person by Kathy Griffin White of Texas, that the Buffy research etc would NOT GO PUBLIC ... UNTIL I told the small group of those aware of and involved in the Buffy Research, to do so. Followed by "We won't until you tell us to ..."
Jacqueline Keeler on December 08, 2022, received from my person, the Vital Records of Albert & Winifred (Kenrick) Santamaria / St. Marie.
Thus when I had seen Keeler and Cornsilk, dropping posts on social media, as I was doing the research, all of it just added more stress to my days.
On December 28, 2022, Jacqueline Keeler posted on social media (Face Book) this post:
Hint Hint Hint Hint
Alerting her detractors to her involvement in the matter
David Cornsilk of the Cherokee Nation of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, had made mention of Buffy and this TIME LINE (as follows) in the very early days of January 2023, he exposed the reality of this very Time Line I was working on without any approval by my person.
As one can read and evaluate, Mr. David Cornsilk, sought to mention the Time Line of Buffy, and the research I was doing, "quietly". I wasn't ready to released it because much research and evaluations still have to be done by my person. And in many ways this research was "forensic" ... historically, genealogically, socially, etc, and even psychologically.
Across social media platforms, many, with multiple dubious accounts or not, began their campaign of implying that Keeler & Cornsilk were plotting to attack "Buffy Sainte-Marie" interestingly enough. Myself as an adoptee (twice in childhood) and a CSA victim in childhood, became interested in researching Buffy's self-declared story-of-origin because of these similarities of life experiences in our respective childhoods.
I sought to do this research "quietly" without the attention with the exception of a small circle of trusted friends. Keeler and Cornsilk negated this research, by posting the aforementioned posts on social media, and subsequently contacting CBC's special investigative reporter, Geoff Leo.
In hindsight, I was none-too-pleased about any of these chosen actions on the part of them. Why? Because I was still actively researching archives and discerning the merits of Buffy's infancy adoption narrative and it's possible validity.
Jean Teillet (Métis Lawyer) Speaking on Buffy Sainte-Marie Research:
“They’re not necessarily good liars. It’s just that they got away with it for a long, long time, especially Buffy from the 1960s, who’s going to be able to track all that stuff, right? Until the CBC did with the old newspaper stories and her uncle writing letters and all that kind of stuff way back when, nobody could track that. But now ..." (raising her eyebrows).
Let's actually SHOW the REALITY and TRUTH eh. The communications in perspective, objectively.
A statement dated August 03, 2023 was announced Buffy Sainte-Marie's decision citing factors including her "travel-induced health concerns" and "performance-inhibiting physical challenges".
"I have made the difficult decision to pull out of all scheduled performances in the foreseeable future,” Sainte-Marie said in the statement. “Arthritic hands and a recent shoulder injury have made it no longer possible to perform to my standards."
“Sincere regrets to all my fans and family, my band and the support teams that make it all possible.”
The Cree artist and activist has "roots" in the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan and was alleged adopted by an American family from Massachusetts.
I strongly suspect that she was "retiring" from live performances due to being aware of the research, and fearful of being confronted with questions, while on camera, because she has always attempted to control the narrative about who she is, where she comes from etc. People were talking on social media, for and against Keeler, Cornsilk, and for and against such an investigation.
People are posting and saying "How dare we attack Buffy. She's an elder, at 82!
If such exposé of research/evaluation happened after Buffy were to pass on, those same people would be saying "How dare we besmirch and attack the iconic and famous Buffy. She's dead and cannot defend herself!"
And even Terry David Mulligan on YouTube, had Buffy on camera, trying to dampen and pre-empt the CBC's Fifth Estate exposé about her, again, shifting and changing the "adoption" narrative to "fit" what she sought to clarify, i.e., "damage control" and blaming it all on "urban legend"....
Like her son "Changing Woman" (1975) Buffy's narrative keeps changing
Will the TRUTH and REALITY please stand up?
Followed by her "damage control" to pre-empt the the CBC's Fifth Estate's airing of the documentary:
(Article)
(YouTube)
Jean Teillet wasn't informed that there was an "independent researcher" like myself, "behind the scenes" who had handed CBC's Geoff Leo this in depth detailed Time Line in late January of 2023 (?)
Of course, it was never just one person on this project of "unmasking" Buffy Sainte-Marie, but rather it was, as shown aforementioned in jpeg's, a team effort of a number of people. Some named, and some unnamed, at their request for anonymity.
I am an adoptee twice in childhood. I was in childhood, abused (CSA, Physically, Psychologically) by the 1st adoptive family and some their relatives, so this Buffy narrative being brought to my attention last year, intrigued me for a number of reasons.
I did not do this research into the background of Buffy Sainte-Marie to be hurtful. Yet TRUTH does regrettably sometimes hurt. But it has hurt in the course of doing this research. Reading Keeler & Cornsilk's detractors posts across social media. No one will ever know the full story of Buffy. While it may hurt, and has hurt a lot of people. I also know that this research can also be liberating, and hopefully healing for some. Hopefully many. Deceit and lies and manipulations are not qualities I seek to hide, or promote, from someone who has lied, been deceitful and manipulated those around them, for whatever reason(s).
People are posting the question: "How dare we 'attack' Buffy. She's an elder, at 82!"
If such exposé of research/evaluation happened after Buffy died, those same people would be saying "How dare we besmirch and attack Buffy! She's dead and cannot defend herself!"
We are in many people's eye's, damned if we did/do and damned just the same, if we didn't.
I debated a bit within myself whether to go forward after Jacqueline Keeler shared this Buffy = Pretendian suspicion.
I was working on my Vermont + Pretendians = "Abenakis" manuscript(s) at the time in November 2022. I set it aside, and began working on Buffy's background documentations. It shocked me that greatly to even ponder that she could have pulled off an ruse for over 60+ years of her lifetime. She ought to get an Academy Award or an Oscar IMHO for her acting skills.
I could have kept silent. But do I maintain her lies with that silence, or instigate chaos by exposing the TRUTH and Reality of her familial background with these documents and her concocted narratives of alleged origin, etc? It has weighed heavy on my mind, because I do understand the ramifications of this research, many of us all are engaged in.
It puts a target on our backs ... both literally and figuratively speaking.
How could I keep silent & in so being, allowing an 81-82 year-old half-Italian woman to do the same as her counterpart, Espera Oscar de Corti ("Cherokee / "Cree" "Indian" "Iron Eyes Cody"), to pass on (die), with her legacy as a Cree Indian singer, activist, artist, and goat lover. As a result I would also be "protecting" and enabling her falsehoods and dubious persona, created and embellished over 60+ years of her lifetime.
Buffy Sainte-Marie Iron Eyes Cody
Since CBC did not include the PDF of the Time Line I had given them in their CBC's Fifth Estate documentary article/video, I am now providing the Time Line to the public to evaluate the content, objectively. This will be in multiple posts as I move through time and events, so bare with me, and I hope and pray, for healing in this.
Most importantly, much like Stolen Valor, people I would hope that people stop appropriating Native Identity. There needs to be a Federal Law in both Canada and the United States against such activity, and fraudulent State Recognition also must be re-evaluated retroactively, and stopped. The repetitive assaults against ICW, IACA, and NAGPRA by Pretendians needs to be addressed as well.
If anything, Buffy Sainte-Marie has shown us all that Pretendians are alive and well, and we are all "blind" to it's harmful consequences, whether we like it or not.
There are some who will disbelieve, some will have trauma, and cognitive dissonance, and denial syndrome. That's OK too. Process the information, in one's own way, in a good way, in one's own time.
I am not here to tell anyone how to go about that, or what to believe. I am just sharing what I compiled.
Have a GOOD DAY people; and NOW, I will begin to post the "Time Line" of Buffy Sainte-Marie in the following posts, that Cherokee David Cornsilk was talking about in November 2022 that I was building.
