Buffy

Buffy

Program note, Nov. 29, 2023: Since this podcast’s release in 2022, there have been reports that call into question Buffy's birth story and her Indigenous identity. Buffy Sainte-Marie is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the past century. For 60 years her music has quietly reverberated throughout pop culture, and provided a touchstone for Indigenous resistance. In this five-part series, Mohawk and Tuscarora writer Falen Johnson explores how Buffy’s life and legacy is essential to understanding Indigenous resilience.

Episodes

June 14, 2022 2 mins
For a lot of Indigenous people, Buffy Sainte-Marie is known as the most celebrated musician ever. But she’s also known as the most under-acknowledged musician of her time. Why is this Indigenous icon still unknown to so many? From the Occupation of Alcatraz to Sesame Street, Mohawk and Tuscarora host Falen Johnson goes on an intimate journey through the life and music of Buffy Sainte-Marie. Episodes release Tuesdays, starting June ...
Mark as Played
On a cold February day in the Canadian prairies, a Cree baby named Beverly Sainte-Marie is born. But she’s sent far away to live with an adoptive family in a small American town she later dubs Javex, USA, because it was so white. She finds refuge in music and discovers a one-way ticket to freedom: her guitar. Beverly becomes Buffy. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/buffy-transcripts...
Mark as Played
June 27, 2022 33 mins
Buffy is traveling from gig to gig in the 60s, armed with her guitar and little else. She makes a splash on the coffeehouse folk scene, rubbing shoulders with artists like Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. Tectonic changes are around the corner, and her rising success comes with some hard lessons about who to trust — and what it means to be a Indigenous woman in the music business. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://...
Mark as Played
A chance encounter at a powwow leads Buffy to the place she might have been born. It’s a personal journey entwined in a political one, and she sees what her budding fame could mean for Indigenous rights. She heads to the original #LandBack movement, the Occupation of Alcatraz, and starts taking every opportunity to speak out about Indigenous rights. Buffy’s voice, loud and clear, becomes the soundtrack for the movement. For transc...
Mark as Played
July 11, 2022 36 mins
Now in her mid-30s, Buffy makes her historical Sesame Street debut in 1975, singing to Muppets about Indigenous languages, cultures, and so much more. She becomes the first woman to breastfeed on TV and the first Indigenous person to take home an Oscar. But as she makes giant strides for visibility, there are powerful forces trying to make her disappear. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcas...
Mark as Played
July 18, 2022 31 mins
Buffy's free in Hawaii. It's been 16 years since her last record and she’s ready for a comeback. But she's determined to do things her way and in 1992 she records Coincidence and Likely Stories, the first album made over the internet. Like always, Buffy continues to carve out space for other Indigenous artists. An award she helps to create has a ripple effect around the world – ensuring a strong, Indigenous future for music. For t...
Mark as Played
December 5, 2023 2 mins

Host Falen Johnson reflects on significant updates since the series release in 2022.

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.