Now 22, Morrison was crowned Miss Universe Canada on Sunday afternoon, making her the first Indigenous woman to hold the national title. She will qualify for the international Miss World pageant next year in Vietnam. “It wasn’t about being the first Indigenous person to hold that title,” Morrison told CBC News. “Of course that’s a great honor … but I wanted to open that door for other indigenous people to come through.” Morrison’s first pageant was in the Miss Northern Ontario pageant, where she was only one of three Indigenous contestants out of 39 overall. However, the state of Indigenous representation on Canada’s pageant scene has improved since then, she said, noting that this year’s Miss North Ontario, Grace Webb, is a young woman from Dokis First Nation who was one of 10 Indigenous contestants in 2022 event. “I’m really doing it for them, Native youth, Native girls. Because I was once in their shoes,” Morrison said. She competes to show her six younger foster siblings that they can reach their full potential. “It doesn’t have to be fantasizing, but it could be applying to university or stepping outside of your comfort zone, and it’s just important to be that positive example that your dreams are possible too.”
Mentored by Ms. Universe 2015, a “big sister”
Morrison may be Canada’s first Indigenous Miss World, but she’s not the first to rise to the top of the pageant world. After winning Miss Teenage Canada in 2017, Morrison received a surprising friend request on social media from Ashley Callingbull-Rabbit, who was the first Canadian and Indigenous person to win Mrs Universe in 2015. Likening her to “a big sister”, Morrison said Callingbull-Rabbit has become a mentor and guide as she moves forward in her pageant career. WATCHES | Pageant winners discuss Indigenous representation:
How Miss World Canada 2022 is paving the way for Indigenous people to excel
Ashley Callingbull-Rabbit, Mrs. Universe 2015, says Emma Morrison, Miss Universe Canada 2022, is “shattering glass ceilings” for Indigenous people with pageantry and inspiring future generations. “And she comes from a reserve and is an example of how, through passion and drive, you can achieve anything. So it was fantastic to have her take me under her wing,” Morrison said. Callingbull-Rabbit, in addition to Morrison, coaches a handful of other Indigenous pageant contestants across Canada and the United States. She says she wishes she had someone to show her the ropes when she first started out. “You can push someone in the right direction and give them all the tools, but it’s really up to them to make that dream come true, and [Emma] it has,” Callingbull-Rabbit told CBC News. “Being a spokesperson – it’s not just being a face, walking around and waving and saying look who I am,” he added. “For me it’s, what are you going to do [do] with this platform, how will you use your voice and what kind of positive change will you create?” Model, actress and host Ashley Callingbull-Rabbit was the first Indigenous woman to be crowned Miss Universe in 2015. She guides Morrison along with other Indigenous women in the North American pageant world. (Submitted by Ashley Callingbull-Rabbit) Morrison, for her part, was tasked with developing a humanitarian program for Miss World Canada’s main pageant event, Beauty With a Purpose. Her winning effort, called Reconnecting with Ribbon Skirts, began after the preliminary finding of 215 unmarked graves on the grounds of the Kamloops residential school in 2021 inspired her to reconnect with her culture. “So far I’ve made 23 ribbon skirts for Indigenous women to feel beautifully empowered and that’s what I want to do,” she said. “I want to give indigenous women a natural link to our culture, remind them to stand strong and be proud of their cultural identity.” She hopes to take the initiative to the international stage when she competes in Miss World next year. As an Indigenous woman, she doesn’t hesitate to represent Canada on the world stage — but recognizes the responsibility that comes with the title, she said. “I come from such a strong community of people. I come from Chapleau Cree First Nation in the Treaty Nine Mushkegowuk area. And everyone in my community, my territory has been so incredibly supportive,” she said. “It makes it easier to know that I have that support, that backbone that’s helping me move forward with this title.”
