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A I’m not going to lie, I was hoping I’d win, so I’d be able to address all these issues. Obviously it was a plan of mine if I did win, that I’d be able to use my voice to bring attention to all these things affecting First Nations people and I wasn’t sure how much attention I would get from competing in this pageant. If I was just still a university student, I didn’t do any pageants or I wasn’t an actor, no one would listen to what I have to say about murdered and missing aboriginal women. They wouldn’t care. People don’t expect a pageant girl to go out and say really crazy things right off the bat. They probably just expected me to have a title and be pretty and that’s it: be pretty and shut up. But I’m not going to shut up.

QOne of your first moves Monday was to encourage First Nations people to vote in this election and elect a new prime minister. People don’t expect that from a beauty queen.

A Some people are like ‘Oh my god, your first day and you’re being so political.’ Some people are really taken by it. The ignorant had a lot of things to say about it. But I’ve got more supporters than anything, because it’s something that needs to be addressed and needs to be talked about.

QWhy do we need a new prime minister?

A First Nations people are always put on the back burner. Our issues are never important. I’ve talked to a few politicians and they’ve all said that to me.

QPoliticians of all political stripes?

A A few of them have said that to me. It drives me crazy because we are the first people of Canada. We are as important as anyone else.