Official Statement from Miss Universe Canada
The 75th anniversary of the Miss Universe Canada pageant this past weekend was called out for cultural appropriation after two contestants wore Indigenous regalia during the costume portion of the competition.
Former Miss Universe Canada winner, Ashley Callingbull, who was the first Indigenous winner crowned in 2024, contacted the organizer and then addressed the audience live before calling out the top 20 contestants.
“Before we do that Sonny, I wanted to acknowledge something,” said Callingbull. “Sometimes there are mistakes that are made … the costume competition, there was cultural appropriation that was done towards Indigenous peoples … I saw this right away, I wasn’t there, I just saw it on video, but my first reaction was to call Sonny, and the Miss Universe Canda Team and immediately they responded and listened. They heard me and heard exactly what we need to do to change that … we should know better. A part of reconciliation is that we educate and learn and understand and move on from these things in a good way.”
Sonny Borrelli, Acting National Director with Miss Universe Canada since December 2024, also address the audience and said, “On behalf of all of us at Miss Universe Canada, it was not our intent to offend anybody, and if we did, we take full responsibility. We will learn from it, we will make it better. We will make it right.”
After this, Borrelli stated that they have invited Callingbull to be the official liaison to the Miss Universe Canda costume competition going forward.
Callingbull said, “Miss Universe Canda team, they are taking accountability to make sure that we ensure going forward, it’s going to be the best and we’re going to make sure everyone feels respected and honoured properly.”
In a post on the Miss Universe Canada Facebook page, the organizers stated the following:
Dear Miss Universe Canada Community, Friends, and Supporters,
We have recently received feedback regarding some of the national costumes featured in our competition. We want to address this directly and sincerely: if any costume caused offense, 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.
A special thank you to our former Miss Universe Canada 2024, Ashley Callingbull, for her guidance, advice, and assistance on how best to address and resolve this moving forward.
To ensure this does not happen again, we are actively implementing a comprehensive Costume Guide. This guide will establish clear guidelines and standards for all future pageant cycles to ensure every presentation is thoughtful and respectful.
We deeply appreciate our community holding us accountable, and we remain committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful platform for everyone involved. Thank you for your continued support as we make these positive updates.