Two contestants at the Miss Universe Canada competition have issued apologies after accusations of cultural appropriation.
One contestant, Karisa Haverkamp, wore a feather headdress traditionally worn by Indigenous leaders in North America as she walked the runway.
Her face was also marked with a painted red handprint, a symbol used to show solidarity with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement.
A second contestant, Jasleen Kaily, labelled her outfit ‘Arctic Beauty ’, which featured a short fur dress and boots while her hair was in twin braids.
They were among 35 other contestants walking in the costume round at the Ontario competition, which is designed to showcase Canada’s heritage.
Both models walked the runway wearing outfits heavily inspired by Indigenous cultures, without being Indigenous themselves.
In an Instagram post, Ms Haverkamp apologised for the offence her outfit attracted.
“I acknowledge and recognise that my outfit for the national costume caused hurt and offence to people in the indigenous community,” Haverkamp wrote in an Instagram post. “I appreciate what I have learned from this experience.”
Meanwhile, Ms Kailey issued her own apology too.
“My intention was never to disrespect or misrepresent Indigenous culture,” she wrote.’
The pageant has also issued a statement apologising: “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 recognise that every design requires deep care, respect, and continuous evaluation.”
Going forward, the organisation will supply contestants with a “comprehensive costume guide” aimed at establishing “clear guidelines and standards for all future pageant cycles to ensure every presentation is thoughtful and respectful”.
The models have copped backlash from all angles, including from a former winner.
Ashley Callingbull, who was crowned as the first Indigenous winner in 2024, addressed the issue during coverage of a separate part of the pageant, saying: “It’s 2026. We should know better.” ‘
Ms Callingbull hadn’t been present during the costumes runway but had seen video footage.
In an interview with local media, Ms Callingbull expanded on her opinion, where she admitted “my jaw just dropped on the floor”.
“This cannot be real. I just couldn’t get over that this was happening. Who allowed this on stage? Who approved this?” she told CBC Indigenous.
“Anything traditional or sacred should not be allowed. I was very, very upset.”
Ms Callingbull has now been invited by the competition to be their official liaison for the costume competition.
A handful of people on social media defended the models; however, the overall sentiment was a strong call for greater awareness.
“Just skip the whole pageant. What are we still doing these things for?” one user wrote.
Another said: “The biggest issue is the headdress…. It is considered extremely offensive to wear one if you haven’t earned it.”
“Maybe if they hadn’t worn the sexy version of the costumes it would have gone over better,” a third added.