Ashley Callingbull-Burnham
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Born | Enoch, Alberta, Canada[1] |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Title(s) | Mrs. Universe 2015 |
| Major competition(s) | Miss Universe Canada 2013 (finalist),[2] Mrs. Universe 2015 (winner) |
Ashley Callingbull-Burnham (born October 21, 1989) is the first Canadian, and the first Aboriginal woman to win the Mrs. Universe title, on 29 August 2015.[3] Callingbull-Burnham is from Alberta's Enoch Cree Nation, west of Edmonton.
Life and Career
Callingbull-Burnham was born in Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta, 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 by the age of 16. Soon after she began her University studies to pursue her Bachelor of Arts degree focusing on drama and acting/television.[1]
Burnham 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 2010. She also represented Canada at Miss Humanity International in Barbados in October 2011.[2]
She used her fame to urge aboriginal people to vote to depose the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2015 federal election.[4] Callingbull stated that indigenous concerns needed to be prominent in the campaign.[5]
She is also an actress, performing under her maiden name of Ashley Callingbull, and plays Sheila Delaronde in the series Blackstone.[6]
Personal Life
Callingbull-Burnham 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."[1]
Callingbull-Burnham 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."[7][8]
She also credits turning to her native culture for helping her heal and find herself.[8]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Ashley Callingbull". Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- 1 2 "Ashley Burnham, Cree woman from Alberta, crowned Mrs. Universe 2015". metronews.ca. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ "Ashley Callingbull Is The First Native Mrs. Universe". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ "New Mrs. Universe says Tory government treats First Nations people 'like terrorists'". 3 September 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ "Ashley Callingbull says First Nations rights 'slowly being taken from us'". 2 October 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ "Rising Enoch actress/model overcomes stereotype...". Spruce Grove Examiner. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ↑ "Meet Mrs. Universe, Ashley Burnham of Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta". Canada AM. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- 1 2 Chatelaine. "Mrs. Universe Ashley Callingbull winner is all kinds of amazing". Chatelaine. Retrieved 20 December 2015.