Growing up with dyslexia, Buffy Sainte-Marie was an unlikely candidate for becoming a world-renowned singer/songwriter. But, by following her passion she was able to realize her dream.
Sainte-Marie spoke to about 435 graduates from the Faculty of Social Science – Honors, fourth year (excluding BMOS), Diplomas and Certificates (excluding Accounting) and the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the June 10 morning session of Western’s 293rd Convocation.
Buffy Sainte-Marie
The University of Western Ontario conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws upon Sainte-Marie in recognition of her skills in virtually inventing the role of Native American international activist pop star.
“I can’t read music,” she told the audience with a laugh. “Little dyslexic me who didn’t know what those sharps and flats were about, but I had a passion from the first time I saw the piano.”
Although she had difficulty reading the sheets of music, she felt a deep connection to the sounds, words and emotions of compositions.
She went on to write various love songs and protest music, and became the first Native American to win an Academy Award – for the song Up Where We Belong, which she co-wrote for the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman.
Taking the stage with a different Oscar, Sainte-Marie spent five years collaborating with various characters on the popular children’s show, Sesame Street, including Oscar the Grouch.
Born in the Qu’Appelle Valley, Sask. and raised in New England, Sainte-Marie refused to have her identity defined by others.
“I was told there aren’t any more Indians,” says Sainte-Marie, a member of Piapot Cree First Nation. “Like music class, they were telling me life was one thing, but in my own reality experience life was always something else.
“When it comes to music, it is like a sphere. People approach things from 360 different directions, so that is why we honour each other.”
Sainte-Marie graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1962 and hit the ground running in the early ’60s. By age 24, she had appeared all over Europe, Canada, Australia and Asia, receiving honours, medals and awards, which continue to this day.
Her song Until It’s Time for You to Go was recorded by Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Barbara Streisand and Cher, and her Universal Soldier became the anthem of the peace movement. For her very first album she was voted Billboard’s ‘Best New Artist.’
Sainte-Marie continued to appear at countless grassroots concerts and activist benefits. She made 17 albums of her music, three of her own television specials, scored movies, helped found Canada’s “Music of Aboriginal Canada” Juno Awards category, raised a son, earned a PhD in Fine Arts, and taught digital music as adjunct professor at several colleges.
She recently released her 18th album, Running for the Drum to critical acclaim and went on to win her second Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year.
In her citation, Professor Rebecca Coulter (Faculty of Education), spoke of Sainte-Marie’s advocacy for Aboriginal students, for Indigenous knowledge and research, and for understanding between the Native and non-Native cultures.
“As a powerful woman of song, an innovative digital artist, a creative educator, and a passionate activist for Indigenous rights, peace and social justice, Sainte-Marie uses her talents to enlighten and teach,” says Coulter, adding Sainte-Marie is committed to educating the young.
“As a teacher, she has always had her eye on the positive, on the better future that can be made by and for the young. In her own optimistic words, ‘rainbows my yarn, the sky is my loom. I will weave sunsets later on’.”
As part of the ceremony, the status of Professor Emeritus/a was conferred upon Professors Susan Pepper (Psychology) and Gary Rollman (Psychology). Presentation of the Distinguished University Professor Award was made to Richard Vernon (Social Science) and the Hellmuth Prize for Achievement in Research to John Whalley (Social Science).