Medicine Songs

album by Sainte-Marie

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 21, 2026

Quick Summary

"Medicine Songs" is an album by Buffy Sainte-Marie, released in 2017. It is described as a collection of new and reworked songs that align with her activist vision. The term "medicine song" itself refers to a song sung by North American Indigenous peoples in ceremonies to invoke natural or magical powers.12

Buffy Sainte-Marie is an American singer-songwriter known for using her music to raise awareness about issues affecting Native Americans. While she has claimed Indigenous ancestry and birth on a Canadian reserve, an investigation in 2023 presented evidence suggesting she was born in the United States to parents of European descent. This has led to controversy regarding her claims of Indigenous identity.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Buffy Sainte-Marie
Later career
Medicine Songs, a collection of new and reworked older songs that fit her activist vision, appeared in 2017. She later released a children’s book based on a song of the same name, Hey Little Rockabye: A Lullaby for Pet Adoption (2020).
Read More
Medicine Songs, a collection of new and reworked older songs that fit her activist vision, appeared in 2017. She later released a children’s book based on a song of the same name, Hey Little Rockabye: A Lullaby for Pet Adoption (2020).
Read More