OCTOBER 21, 1989

CREE ASHLEY CALLINGBULL BORN–1ST FIRST NATIONS MRS. UNIVERSE/ACTIVIST

Born in Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta, Ashley, by age 10, had won all the princess crowns in her community. Graduating from high school at age 16, she pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama and acting/television. Callingbull represented Canada at the: 2010 Miss Friendship International Pageant; 2010 Queen of the World Final; and 2011 Miss Humanity International. On August 29, 2015, in Minsk, Belarus, she became the 1^st Indigenous woman & 1^st Canadian woman to win the Mrs. Universe title. Ashley used her fame: (1) to urge the First Nations to oppose the Conservative Party in the 2015 federal election demanding that their concerns be prominent in the campaign; and (2) to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women. Also an actress, she plays Sheila Delaronde in the series Blackstone. With her stepfather, she participated in the 4th season of The Amazing Race Canada. In May 2022, Ashley became the 1^st Indigenous woman featured in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Sources:
Nicholas Hughes Brown, “All hail Ashley Callingbull: from 'pageant girl' to powerhouse,” Chatelaine, 12/7/2015.  Retrieved 12/7/2023, All hail Ashley Callingbull: from 'pageant girl' to powerhouse (chatelaine.com)
Wikipedia
Photo: Padraic Ryan, 11/11/2007.  Aboriginal War Veterans Monument, Ottawa, Canada.  Permissive Use.