Ashley Callingbull has achieved many firsts, but she has spent her life making sure she is not the last.
The former Miss Canada winner and proud Plains Cree Indigenous woman from Cree Nation and Treaty six territory has dedicated her life to “positive representation” as a model, actress, author and activist.
“For a lot of my life, a lot of the things that I’ve had to chase, they weren’t open to me because I’m an Indigenous woman, whether that be acting or modeling,” Callingbull exclusively told E! News on Nov. 1 in honor of our “Ones to Watch” video series celebrating Indigenous heritage. “And I’ve been told that, you know, [that] Indigenous people aren’t relatable, so we’re not going to cast you, which is such a crazy thing to hear. Now, times are changing and things are becoming more inclusive, it’s been too long to get to this point.”
Callingbull continued, “My culture really shaped me because I always had this thing about, ‘Well, why can’t I do this? Why can’t I?’ I had this thing like, ‘I’m going to prove myself.'”
