<p>What was meant to be a celebration of beauty and national pride took an unexpected turn at the 2026 Miss Universe Canada pageant when former titleholder Ashley Callingbull stopped the competition to address concerns over cultural appropriation. Callingbull used the live moment to speak about how costumes she felt misrepresented Indigenous culture.</p><h2>What happened during the beauty pageant?</h2><p>The controversy centred on the national costume competition held on August 4. Callingbull said she had not been physically present for the segment but had watched videos of the contestants' appearances. Callingbull noted that “during the national competition and the costume competition, there was cultural appropriation that was done towards Indigenous peoples.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/lack-of-respect-sultan-of-brunei-removes-daughter-in-law-s-titles-1786682065463"><strong>'Lack of respect’: Sultan of Brunei removes daughter-in-law’s titles</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ashley Callingbull, the winner of Miss Universe Canada 2024, reportedly took to the opportunity of a technical glitch during the event on August 8 at the Chrysler Theatre in Windsor, Ontario to address the certain concern. “If we can turn the music down just a little bit?” she asked. “So with Miss Universe Canada, me being the first Indigenous, First Nations Miss Universe Canada, that was such a huge honor. One of the biggest dreams of my life was coming here and fulfilling that. But sometimes there are mistakes that are made.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/10-years-5-kids-and-one-gucci-store-meeting-inside-georgina-rodr-guez-and-cristiano-ronaldo-s-journey-to-marriage-1786511436003"><strong>From Gucci store to marriage: Georgina Rodríguez &amp; Cristiano Ronaldo's lovestory</strong></a></p>

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbzLsUHtVjw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbzLsUHtVjw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbzLsUHtVjw/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Corrina | Indigenous 💫 Mindset Mentor (@corrinaaligned)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

<p>Callingbull said, "My first reaction was to call Sonny and the Miss Universe Canada team and immediately they responded. “Immediately they listened, they heard me, they heard exactly what we need to do to change that, because, I think we’re living in a time, it’s 2026, we should know better. But most importantly, a part of reconciliation is that we educate and learn and understand and move on from these things in a good way."</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Her intervention also turned what could have been a backstage controversy into a broader conversation about the difference between celebrating a culture and using its symbols without sufficient understanding or context. The Miss Universe Canada organisation also responded, expressing regret over the controversy and saying the incident highlighted the need for better guidance around cultural representation.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/not-a-prince-but-andrew-will-still-get-a-royal-funeral-report-1786435389565"><strong>Not a prince but Andrew will still get a royal funeral: Source</strong></a></p><h2>All about Ashley Callingbull</h2><p>Ashley Callingbull is a Canadian First Nations activist model, actress and TV host from the Enoch Cree Nation. She made history as the first Indigenous woman to win Miss Universe Canada 2024, followed by becoming Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and also won Mrs Universe 2015.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/out-of-curiosity-staff-member-played-king-charles-death-message-on-air-then-panics-and-runs-away-1786426985178"><strong>Staff member played King Charles’ death message, then panics and runs away</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>She also serves as an international motivational speaker, advocating for Indigenous rights and representation, including speaking at Harvard University and TEDx. Ashley has also appeared in TV series including <i>Blackstone, Tribal and The Great Salish Heist.&nbsp;</i></p>

The Miss Universe Canada 2026 competition took an unexpected turn when Ashley Callingbull decided to address a controversy surrounding Indigenous representation on stage. Read to know more.

What was meant to be a celebration of beauty and national pride took an unexpected turn at the 2026 Miss Universe Canada pageant when former titleholder Ashley Callingbull stopped the competition to address concerns over cultural appropriation. Callingbull used the live moment to speak about how costumes she felt misrepresented Indigenous culture. What happened during the beauty pageant? The controversy centred on the national costume competition held on August 4. Callingbull said she had not been physically present for the segment but had watched videos of the contestants' appearances. Callingbull noted that “during the national competition and the costume competition, there was cultural appropriation that was done towards Indigenous peoples. Also Read: 'Lack of respect’: Sultan of Brunei removes daughter-in-law’s titles Ashley Callingbull, the winner of Miss Universe Canada 2024, reportedly took to the opportunity of a technical glitch during the event on August 8 at the Chrysler Theatre in Windsor, Ontario to address the certain concern. “If we can turn the music down just a little bit?” she asked. “So with Miss Universe Canada, me being the first Indigenous, First Nations Miss Universe Canada, that was such a huge honor. One of the biggest dreams of my life was coming here and fulfilling that. But sometimes there are mistakes that are made.” Also Read: From Gucci store to marriage: Georgina Rodríguez & Cristiano Ronaldo's lovestory

<p>The Miss Universe Canada 2026 competition took an unexpected turn when Ashley Callingbull decided to address a controversy surrounding Indigenous representation on stage. Read to know more.</p>

Former Miss Universe Canada Ashley Callingbull halts pageant over Indigenous costume controversy

ashley-callingbull

Ashley Callingbull, News on Ashley Callingbull, stories on Ashley Callingbull, articles on Ashley Callingbull, Ashley Callingbull stories at Wion, Ashley Callingbull news, Ashley Callingbull latest news

ashley callingbull

Former Miss Universe Canada Ashley Callingbull halts pageant over Indigenous costume controversy