Buffy Sainte-Marie (b.1941) is a Cree singer-songwriter, activist, and educator whose work has shaped folk music and Indigenous rights advocacy. She emerged in the 1960s folk scene with It’s My Way! (1964,) featuring the anti-war anthem “Universal Soldier.”
Throughout her career, Sainte-Marie has fused music with activism, addressing Indigenous issues, social justice, and environmental concerns. Her song “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” (1992) critiques Indigenous struggles. Blacklisted by the U.S. government in the 1970s for her activism, she continued creating groundbreaking work.
Sainte-Marie won an Academy Award for co-writing “Up Where We Belong” (1982,) performed by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes. In the 1980s, she pioneered digital music composition, integrating technology into her creative process.
Her later albums, Power in the Blood (2015) and Medicine Songs (2017,) reaffirm her commitment to activism through music. Beyond music, she founded the Nihewan Foundation for Native American Education, supporting Indigenous youth.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Buffy Sainte-Marie
You have to leave room in life to dream.
—Buffy Sainte-Marie
Topics: Dreams
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