Miss Universe Canada contestants slammed for ‘cultural appropriation’ in costume segment

'Change doesn't happen unless you speak up,' says former champion Ashley Callingbull

Published Aug 09, 2026  •  2 minute read

Actress Ashley Callingbull walks up to accept her award during the Edmontonians 11th annual Sizzling Twenty Under 30 event held at Lexus of Edmonton in Edmonton on Sept. 20, 2012. Photo by IAN KUCERAK /EDMONTON SUN

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Miss Universe Canada was called out by one of the pageant’s former winners after two of its contestants wore Indigenous regalia during the costume portion of the competition last week, APTN News reported.

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According to the Indigenous news network, one of the contestants donned a headdress and another wore a pair of mukluks on stage during the “national costume” segment of the competition at the event that was held in Windsor.

Watching the contestants in the audience was former Miss Universe Canada champion Ashley Callingbull, the competition’s first Indigenous winner crowned in 2024, who immediately contacted the pageant’s organizer.

“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 this affects other people,” Callingbull told APTN News. “I’m glad I got the message across, but it was heavy on me. It was heavy on my heart.”

Miss Universe Canada’s website described the costume portion of the competition as “a celebration of Canadian culture and heritage,” requiring each contestant to showcase “a unique costume, dress, or outfit inspired by Canada’s traditions, symbols, and history.”

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Statement from Miss Universe Canada

In response to the backlash, Miss Universe Canada said in a lengthy statement on social media Friday that “if any costume caused offence, hurt, or misunderstanding, please know that it was never our intention.

​”The national costume segment is intended to celebrate creativity, heritage, and identity. However, we recognize that every design requires deep care, respect, and continuous evaluation,” the statement posted on Facebook read.

Organizers then thanked Callingbull for “her guidance, advice, and assistance on how best to address and resolve this moving forward,” and said it was “actively implementing a comprehensive Costume Guide” to “establish clear guidelines and standards for all future pageant cycles to ensure every presentation is thoughtful and respectful.”

Callingbull responded to Miss Universe Canada’s comments, posting on her Facebook, “Cultural appropriation is NOT OK.”

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She added, “Now there will be guidelines and liaisons to help with this process moving forward. Change doesn’t happen unless you speak up. Thank you MUC for acknowledging this and doing what needed to be done.”

The costume segment was among the competition’s preliminary shows held last week, with the winner, Aslihan Moral, crowned at the finals held at Windsor’s Chrysler Theatre on Saturday.

She’ll represent Canada at Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico on Nov. 26

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