A well-known Indigenous Canadian is speaking out after the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) issued a warning to members to use caution when traveling to the United States. Model, actor and activist Ashley Callingbull said the warning is causing her to rethink upcoming work in the U.S. “Please be safe everyone. We are living in some scary times,” Callingbull wrote in a social media post. “I have work in the U.S. in the next few months and I’m heavily debating on not traveling there just because I’m worried for my own safety.” AFN issued the warning as a result of immigration enforcement raids and detention of some Indigenous people, urging members to carry the right documentation when crossing the border. AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said at least one First Nations person had a negative encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that person had since returned to Canada. “These actions are a violation of our inherent rights and a breach of the Jay Treaty, which guarantees the free passage of First Nations peoples across the border,” Woodhouse Nepinak said. “We call on (U.S. President Donald) Trump’s administration to fully uphold First Nations peoples’ right to cross the border without harassment or undue hindrance. “First Nations, as the original peoples, were here on these lands in a good way. And we’ve shared in these lands, not for people to come here and tell us one way or another how to cross.” Callingbull, who was born at Enoch Cree Nation west of Edmonton, was the first First Nations woman to become a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. She was also crowned Miss Universe Canada in 2024 and represented the country at Miss Universe 2024. With files from The Canadian Press
