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| Justin Bieber on the cover of this month's Rolling Stone. |
In an interview published in the new issue of Rolling Stone, Bieber said: "I’m actually part Indian. I think Inuit or something? I’m enough percent that in Canada I can get free gas.”
Bieber needs to brush up on the Indian Act. While it's true that bearers of a Secure Certificate of Indian Status — more commonly known as a Status Card — are exempt from paying taxes on most goods and services, they don't get free gas. In fact, taxes apply to gas and fuel purchased outside of reserves.
Adding insult to Bieber's ignorance, if he did indeed have Inuit ancestry, he would not be entitled to a Status Card since the Inuit are not covered by the Indian Act.
Adding insult to Bieber's ignorance, if he did indeed have Inuit ancestry, he would not be entitled to a Status Card since the Inuit are not covered by the Indian Act.
Could the Beebs get a Status Card? The Indian Act was amended in 1985 to grant status to persons born out of wedlock to a mother with status and a father without — which applies to Bieber if mom Pattie Mallette, who has French Canadian roots, has status. (Bieber's paternal ancestry is German.)
In any case, when Bieber's back in Canada he still has to pay full price at the pumps.
And while he's here he may want to study Canadian music. In an interview this month with Britain's Q magazine, Bieber couldn't come up with the name of one of Canada's most successful female artists. "Who's that girl that sings 'Ironic'? She's Canadian," he said, referring to 38-year-old Alanis Morissette. Asked if he knows Leonard Cohen, Bieber replied: "No. Is he Canadian?"
The London, Ont.-born singer, who earned his high school diploma last
month after several years of being tutored, has said he has no interest
in post-secondary studies.
In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Bieber, then 17, was asked what political
party he'd support if he could vote. "I'm not sure about the parties,"
he replied, "but whatever they have in Korea, that's bad." He also
described abortion as "like killing a baby" and said he's against it
even in cases of rape. "I think that's really sad, but everything happens
for a reason."
Last month, Bieber was left red-faced during an appearance on the Late Show when David Letterman advised him not to get too many tattoos "because more and more you'll seem like the Sistine Chapel." The pop star responded: "I'm not going for the Sixteenth Chapel."
