Wonder Woman of the Week: Ashley Callingbull

This week’s Wonder Woman proves that beauty is not only skin deep. She’s a recent international beauty pageant winner that is using her title as a platform for political activism and social justice in her home country. She a representative of her people, her country, and women around the world. She’s a political activist and civil rights leader. The Wonder Woman of the week is Ashley Callingbull.

The Cree Nation have a long history of representing the nation of Canada. Besides the fact that they were the original inhabitants of modern-day Alberta (and pretty much everything east of the province), the Cree are leaders in environmental protection and economic development. [1] Coming from the Enoch Cree Nation, it’s no surprise that Ashley Callingbull would rise to international acclaim. Callingbull- like many First Nations (Native Canadian) people- grew up in the working class. She survived sexual and physical abuse and had to collect bottles to sell for food. When Callingbull was fourteen, her sister passed away. Ashley’s way of dealing with the loss was to start working with charities and giving back to her community. She joined Cree music and dance programs, designing her own regalia and playing the drum (the latter of which is huge for Native girls). [2]

Ashley Callingbull also began competing in beauty pageants as a teenager and at twenty years old became the second runner up for the Miss Universe Canada contest. Callingbull is not just a beauty pageant winner though. She’s most well-known for her work on the acclaimed Canadian television show Blackstone and is an accomplished model. [3] In 2015, Callingbull flew to Belarus to compete in the Mrs. Universe Pageant- a pageant in which only married women are permitted to compete. The native world was abuzz with high expectations for the contestant. Callingbull herself stated “Representing First Nations on the international stage was the best feeling in the world.” [4]

In 2015, Ashley Callingbull was the first Canadian and first First Nations woman to win the pageant. She received immense congradulations from around the world, but also received backlash. Callingbull was proud to use her title as a platform for civil rights activism and political change. Many responded essentially telling her she’s only an image to look at and not a person. Callingbull retaliated by stating, “Really? People think I’m too political for my first day as Mrs. Universe. Did you really think I was going to just sit there and look pretty? Definitely not.” [5]

Ashley Callingbull is more than what she seems. She might be most famous for being an international beauty pageant winner- but she’s more than that. She’s an accomplished model and actress. She’s an advocate for civil rights and social justice. Callingbull suffered from ten years of physical and sexual abuse, had to sell glass bottles to make enough money to eat, and lost her sister at fourteen. From all of that trauma, she was able to forge herself into one of the most successful Canadians and First Nations individuals in the 21st Century. She was the first Native Canadian Mrs. Universe and is the first First Nations Wonder Woman of the Week.

“Enoch Cree Nation History” 2015. River Cree Development Corporation. Accessed 9 September 2015. http://www.enochecdev.ca/ecn-community-profile/ecn-history/

“Ashley Callingbull, First Nations woman, crowned Mrs. Universe.” 30 August 2015. cbcnews Edmonton. Accessed 9 September 2015. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/ashley-callingbull-first-nations-woman-crowned-mrs-universe-1.3209179

“Enoch Cree Nation woman crowned MRS Universe” 30 August 2015. Edmonton Journal. Accessed 9 September 2015. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Enoch+Cree+Nation+woman+crowned+Universe/11327625/story.html

“Ashley Callingbull, Cree Model and Actress, Is Your New Mrs. Universe” ICTMN Staff. 31 August 2015. IndianCountryTodayMediaNetwork.com. Accessed 9 September 2015. http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/08/31/ashley-callingbull-cree-model-and-actress-your-new-mrs-universe-161571

“Mrs. Universe 2015 Ashley Callingbull calls for First Nations to vote out Harper.” Andrew Russell. 1 September 2015. Global News. Accessed 9 September 2015. http://globalnews.ca/news/2198066/mrs-universe-2015-ashley-callingbull-calls-for-first-nations-to-vote-out-harper/