Former Miss Universe Canada winner criticises pageant for cultural appropriation

Ashley Callingbull, a past Miss Universe Canada winner and a Plains Cree woman from the Enoch Cree Nation, publicly criticized this year's competition for "cultural appropriation" against First Nations people. The controversy arose during the national costume segment, where two contestants wore attire representing Indigenous culture. Callingbull, who was co-hosting the pageant's final, interrupted the event to address the issue, stating, "It's 2026, we should know better."

Miss Universe Canada acknowledged the "feedback" received regarding some outfits, issuing a statement that read, "If any costume caused offence, hurt, or misunderstanding, please know that it was never our intention." Callingbull clarified that she had not been present when the costumes were worn but had seen them in a video.

One of the costumes, worn by contestant Karisa Haverkamp, featured a feather headdress, traditionally reserved for highly respected Indigenous leaders in North America, and a red handprint on her face, a symbol of solidarity with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Haverkamp later posted on Instagram, "I acknowledge and recognise that my outfit for the national costume caused hurt and offence to people in the indigenous community. I appreciate what I have learned from this experience."

The other contestant, Jasleen Kaily, presented a costume themed "Arctic Beauty," which included an all-fur dress, mukluks (boots), and two braids. Hair braiding holds deep cultural significance for First Nations people. Kaily also apologized, stating her intention was "never to disrespect or misrepresent indigenous culture" but rather to "recognise and celebrate one of the First Peoples of Canada."

The Miss Universe Canada website describes the national costume segment as "a celebration of Canadian culture and heritage, combined with creativity," where "Each delegate must showcase a unique costume, dress, or outfit inspired by Canada's traditions, symbols, and history."

In response to the controversy, Miss Universe Canada announced it would implement a "comprehensive costume guide" to "establish clear guidelines and standards for all future pageant cycles to ensure every presentation is thoughtful and respectful." Pageant director Sonny Borrelli, who was co-presenting with Callingbull, invited her to serve as the official liaison for the costume segment moving forward. Callingbull is the first First Nations woman to win the competition.

During the final, Callingbull noted the organization's initial statement lacked a direct apology and invited Borrelli to speak. He stated that Miss Universe Canada takes "full responsibility" for the error, adding, "We will learn from it, we will make it better, we will make it right." Callingbull expressed gratitude for the pageant organizers' receptiveness to her concerns, emphasizing, "A part of reconciliation is that we educate and learn and understand and move on from these things in a good way. We're going to make sure that everyone is going to be respected and honoured properly."

Speaking to CBC Indigenous, Callingbull described her reaction to seeing the costumes: "This cannot be real. I just couldn't get over that this was happening. Who allowed this on stage? Who approved this? Anything traditional or sacred should not be allowed. I was very, very upset."

This is not the first instance of cultural appropriation criticism for the Miss Universe Canada competition. In 2015, contestant Paola Nunuz Valdez wore a totem pole costume, which the organization and Valdez clarified was meant to represent her Dominican heritage, leading to a "misunderstanding." At that time, Callingbull had recommended Miss Universe Canada consider hiring a cultural consultant.