Miss Universe Canada slams contest for letting rivals wear costumes that felt 'hurtful' to her as an Indigenous woman

A Miss Universe Canada winner slammed this year's competition for allowing contestants to wear 'hurtful' Indigenous costumes, accusing them of 'cultural appropriation.' 

Ashley Callingbull, who is from the Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta, interrupted the final portion of the 2026 competition on Saturday ahead of announcing the top 20 contestants to call out the pageant for allowing 'cultural appropriation.' 

'Me being the first Indigenous First Nations Miss Universe Canada, that was such a huge honor,' Callingbull, who won the competition in 2024, said as people cheered. 

'But sometimes there are mistakes that are made. During this week, during the national costume competition, there was cultural appropriation done toward Indigenous people.' 

Although she was not a judge for that portion of the competition, she did watch the video, where she saw contestants Karisa Haverkamp and Jasleen Kaily appear in Indigenous-inspired outfits. 

Haverkamp appeared in a multicolored feathered headdress with a small red handprint on her cheek, which is supposed to represent the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement. 

Kaily wore an Arctic-inspired costume that included fringe and a fur-covered winter outfit that looked similar to what Canadian Inuits wear. She paired it with a maple leaf cutout. 

The costume portion of the competition is supposed to represent parts of Canada and its history. 

When Callingbull saw the looks, she told CBC that 'my jaw just dropped to the floor.' 

'This cannot be real. I just couldn't get over that this was happening. Who allowed this on stage? Who approved this? Anything traditional or sacred should not be allowed. I was very, very upset.' 

Callingbull said on stage Saturday that she immediately called Director Sonny Borrelli to discuss her feelings. 

'It's 2026, we should know better. More importantly, a part of reconciliation is that we educate and learn and understand and move on from these things in a good way,' she told the crowd. 

Haverkamp released an Instagram statement on Saturday, writing that she 'acknowledged and recognized that my outfit for the national costume caused hurt and offense to the people in the Indigenous community.' 

'I appreciate what I have learned from this experience and continue my commitment to stand up and speak for all women who have lost their voice because of violence, trauma and oppression,' she said. 

Kaily also apologized on Instagram, saying: 'My intention was never to disrespect or misrepresent Indigenous culture.' 

She said her costume was to 'recognize and celebrate one of the First Peoples of Canada.' 

Borrelli addressed the crowd on Saturday, saying it wasn't the pageant's intention to 'offend anybody.' 

'If we did, we take full responsibility, we will learn from it, we will make it better, we will make it right,' he said. 

He also announced that the pageant has asked Callingbull to become a cultural liaison for the costume competition next year. It is unclear if she has accepted the position.  

Callingbull said the instances weighed heavily on her, which is why she spoke out, as her grandfather always told her that speaking up was the only way to enact change. 

'I felt like I was educating them and giving them hell at the same time, because I needed them to understand how bad this was and how much it affects other people,' she told CTV News. 

'I’m glad I got the message across, but it was heavy on me, it was really heavy on my heart.' 

The pageant describes the costume portion as a 'segment intended to celebrate creativity, heritage, and identity.' 

Conversations around cultural appropriation have become more prevalent in the last decade, with some saying it honors traditions and heritage, while others have accused people of making a costume out of sacred traditions. 

In order to avoid future concerns, the organization is now creating a 'comprehensive costume guide' to help future contestants. 

'We deeply appreciate our community holding us accountable, and we remain committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful platform for everyone involved,' the organization said in a statement. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Haverkamp, Kaily, Callingbull and the pageant for comment.