Buffy Sainte-Marie
Academy Award-winning Canadian First Nations musician, composer, visual artist

Buffy Sainte-Marie was born Beverly Sainte-Marie on February 20, 1941 on the Piapot Cree reserve in the Qu’Appelle valley in Saskatchewan, Canada.  She lost both of her parents early in life and was adopted by relatives in the United States.

Sainte-Marie taught herself how to play both the guitar and piano while still a teenager.  She began touring solo while she was in her twenties, and soon was well known throughout the music world as a gifted singer and song writer.  Many famous artists have recorded covers of her songs, and continue to do so today.  Many of her more popular songs were either love songs or protest songs, as she has spent many years as a social and political activist.

Sainte-Marie received a PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts, and has numerous honors and awards for her music and many other accomplishments.

Information from northern stars and wikipedia.