Ashley Callingbull is a model, actress, dancer, activist, and the Miss Universe winner in 2015. She is a First Nation Cree from Canada, but her life was far from glamorous in the beginning. Callingbull was born on the Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta Canada. They were very poor and her mother escaped with her from an abusive relationship, and went to live with Ashley's grandparents. Being around her grandparents changed her life!
Callingbull said winning the Mrs. Universe Crown, is a blow against the stereotypes surrounding First Nations People. When competing in previous pageants, she said, she was judged for coming from the Enoch Reservation West of Edmonton, and told that she wasn't expected to place well in the competitions. She gained attention after becoming the only First Nations contestant in the 2010 Miss Canada pageant. She said that while she got a lot of support, she was also the target of racist comments.
One Canadian newspaper wrote,
What is she going to do for her talent,
write a welfare check with her toes?
That made her more determined to showcase her Native culture.
She wore a white buckskin jingle dress,
used during pow-wow dances, and sang a Traditional Cree song for the talent competition.
Everything basically stated, This woman is First Nations native, and she's proud of it.
Callingbull, who is a trained dancer and professional actress, has taken part in several pageants in the past. But she said she was particularly drawn to the 2015 Mrs. Universe competition because of its theme: battling domestic violence and child abuse.
As a survivor of sexual and physical abuse, she wanted the chance to help others dealing with the same pain.
"I use to pick up bottles for food. I would have never thought, I'm going to be Mrs. Universe soneday," she said.
She is very devoted to her culture and people, and takes pride in her Native Cree heritage, and has shown this through her volunteer work with community elders and native youth. Ashley’s hard work and charity work was recognized as she received the Role Model Award at the Dreamcatcher Gala, and she also received the Top 20 Under 30 Award in Canada. Ashley also received a role model award from the United Nations in October 2015 for Global Dignity Day.
She is currently starring as
Sheila Delaronde, in the TV series 'Blackstone' on Hulu.
