Ashley Callingbull

{{Infobox pageant titleholder

| name = Ashley Callingbull

| photo =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|10|21}}

| birth_place = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

| website = {{url|ashleycallingbull.com}}

| height = 5' 10"

| title = {{ubl|Mrs. Universe 2015|Miss Universe Canada 2024}}

| competitions =|Mrs. Universe 2015 (Winner)|Miss Universe Canada 2024 (Winner)|Miss Universe 2024 (Top 5)}}

Ashley Callingbull (born October 21, 1989) is a Canadian beauty pageant titleholder. She was the first Indigenous First Nations woman to become a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model. She also was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2024 and represented her country at Miss Universe 2024,{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ashley-callingbull-first-native-mrs-universe_55e4907fe4b0aec9f3540685|title=Ashley Callingbull Is The First Nation Mrs. Universe|work=The Huffington Post|date=August 31, 2015 |accessdate=December 20, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2015/08/30/cree-woman-from-alberta-crowned-mrs-universe-2015-in-minsk-belarus.html|title=Ashley Callingbull, is a Canadian of Cree descent from Alberta, crowned Mrs. Universe 2015|date=August 30, 2015|work=metronews.ca|accessdate=December 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103443/http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2015/08/30/cree-woman-from-alberta-crowned-mrs-universe-2015-in-minsk-belarus.html|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=dead}} where she finished in the Top 12.{{Cite web |title=LIST: Miss Universe 2024 Top 12 {{!}} Philstar.com |url=https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-beauty/2024/11/17/2400645/list-miss-universe-2024-top-12 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=philstar.com}}

She and her stepfather participated in The Amazing Race Canada 4. They also ran in the second Amazing Race Devon, a local youth fundraiser, in which they finished second.{{cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BouKtEsHN-3/ |website=Instagram}}

Life and career

Ashley Callingbull was born in Enoch Cree Nation near Edmonton in Alberta,{{cite web|url=http://missuniversecanada.ca/2013-national-finalists/ashley-callingbull/|title=Ashley Callingbull|publisher=|accessdate=December 20, 2015}} to Cree parents. By the age of 10, she had consecutively won all Enoch's princess crowns in her community. She graduated from high school at the age of 16. Soon after, she began her University studies to pursue her Bachelor of Science, Communications, and an Arts degree focusing on drama and acting/television.

Callingbull was also chosen as Miss Canada for the Miss Friendship International Pageant held in Hubei, China in September 2010, and represented Canada at the Queen of the World Final held in Germany also in 2010.

She also represented Canada at Miss Humanity International in Barbados in October 2011.

She used her fame to urge the First Nations band governments to vote to depose the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2015 federal election.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mrs-universe-conservatives-ashley-callingbull-1.3214214|title=New Mrs. Universe says Tory government treats First Nations people 'like terrorists'|date=September 3, 2015|publisher=|accessdate=December 20, 2015}} Callingbull stated that the First Nation's concerns needed to be prominent in the campaign.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ashley-callingbull-says-first-nations-rights-slowly-being-taken-from-us-1.3253292|title=Ashley Callingbull says First Nations rights 'slowly being taken from us'|date=October 2, 2015|publisher=|accessdate=December 20, 2015}} While competing in Mrs. Universe, she wore a dress that aimed to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women, designed by Lesley Hampton.{{cite web |last=Simonpillai |first=Radheyan |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Lesley Hampton makes Indigenous fashion that anyone can wear |url=https://nowtoronto.com/culture/lesley-hampton-makes-indigenous-fashion-that-anyone-can-wear |access-date=June 20, 2022 |website=NOW Magazine |language=en-US}}

In May 2022, she become the first Indigenous First Nations woman to be featured in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.{{cite web |last=Swimsuit |first=S. I. |title=Ashley Callingbull 2022 SI Swimsuit Photos |url=https://swimsuit.si.com/swimsuit/model/ashley-callingbull-2022-si-swimsuit-photos |access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=Swimsuit {{!}} SI.com |date=May 16, 2022 |language=en-us}}{{cite web |title="Mom, I made history!": Cree model stuns in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut (PHOTOS) {{!}} Curated |url=https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/sports-illustrated-swimsuit-ashley-callingbull |access-date=July 13, 2022 |website=dailyhive.com |language=en}}

She is also an actress, with roles including the television series Blackstone{{cite web|url=http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/2012/01/12/rising-enoch-actressmodel-overcomes-stereotypes-and-adversity|title=Rising Enoch actress/model overcomes stereotype...|work=Spruce Grove Examiner|accessdate=December 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222130549/http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/2012/01/12/rising-enoch-actressmodel-overcomes-stereotypes-and-adversity|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=dead}} and the film The Great Salish Heist.

Personal life

Callingbull has said that she "never had the perfect childhood everyone dreams of. I had an incredibly difficult childhood and was raised mainly by my mother and grandparents...It was difficult to grow up the way I did, but it made me appreciate everything I have and most importantly made me the strong woman I am today."

Callingbull says she was drawn to the Mrs. Universe competition because of its domestic violence theme.

"I thought, this is a perfect platform for me because I'm relatable to people, I've experienced this myself and I'm able to speak about it," she said. "I'm glad I'm able to use this title as a way to speak for others that can't speak for themselves."{{cite web|url=http://canadaam.ctvnews.ca/a-perfect-platform-canadian-mrs-universe-on-embracing-first-nations-culture-to-survive-abuse-1.2540503|title=Meet Mrs. Universe, Ashley Burnham of Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta|work=Canada AM|date=August 31, 2015 |accessdate=December 20, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.chatelaine.com/living/the-canadian-mrs-universe-winner-is-all-kinds-of-amazing/|title=Mrs. Universe Ashley Callingbull winner is all kinds of amazing|author=Chatelaine|work=Chatelaine|accessdate=December 20, 2015}}. Callingbull was criticized following Mrs. Universe Canada for hosting Mike Tyson at her private residence in the Bahamas with then husband Ryan Burnham

She also credits turning to her First Nation culture for helping her heal and find herself.

Callingbull has received the Role Model Award from the United Nations in 2015, the Youth Award at the Indspire Awards in 2019 and was inducted into the Circle Of Honour at the Esquao Awards in 2016. Callingbull was also named one of the Top 10 Power women in Canada.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}