Miss Shannon Baker is one of over 50 delegates that will be competing in the Miss Universe® Canada 2007 pageant. This pageant will be held in Montréal, Québec on February 22nd to March 4th, 2007. She hails from the Stellat’en First Nation and is of Carrier Déné ancestry. She was born in Prince George BC, the city is known as the northern capital of BC. She was raised on and off the little village of Stella, and also in Fraser Lake BC, a town that consists of less than 1,350 people.

In the tradition of the Carrier Déné people, an elder from Shannon’s village, rubbed warm bee hive into the palm of her hands when she was a baby so that she could have strong artistic abilities. Perhaps this is the reason why she is drawn to the arts. Throughout the years she has expressed herself artistically through writing, painting, poetry, fashion design, sketching, dance and music. She played various musical instruments. As a teenager, she played flute duets with her twin sister and played classical music with her sister in musical competitions.

Shannon started to volunteer at an early age, for different organizations. She would go with her grandmother to the Annual B.C. Elder’s Gatherings in the summer and assist elders. She also volunteered at the annual “Lejac Pilgrimage”. In high school, she tutored students that played the saxophone, flute, clarinet and the piccolo. She also found time during high school to work as a teacher’s assistant at the elementary school.

She wanted to work for her people as soon as she was old enough. She graduated a year early and at seventeen, worked for a native organization as a “Youth Conference Coordinator”. She facilitated and coordinated a conference for first nations youth from villages of northern and central BC. She also worked as an Information Communication Trainer for the government. As a communications trainer, she traveled to remote villages in northern British Columbia where she taught computer skills to first nations youth and elders. You can imagine how her family felt about Shannon driving great distances and flying in small planes to remote villages at her young age. During this time, she was delegated as one of four aboriginal youth role models of British Columbia at an education conference held in Vancouver.

After she graduated from high school she moved from her small village to Vancouver BC in pursuits of finding her dreams. When she moved to Vancouver, she wasn’t sure of what she wanted to do with her life. The only thing she knew concretely, is that, whatever she was going to do, she wanted to inspire First Nations youth. After a few years of living in Vancouver, she realized that she was fascinated with acting. Her initial goal was to become a teacher like her Grandmother. However, after a few acting and modeling jobs, she realized that she had found her passion. She is currently working as an actress and model and successfully manages her own modeling career with her twin sister. She places a high value on education and is well on her way towards attaining her Bachelor of Arts Degree.

Shannon worked for various non-profit organizations over the years such as: The Chief Dan George Centre, The Native Education Centre, PGNAETA, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

In 2002 she worked at Simon Fraser University. She was fortunate to work and be affiliated with a program that is associated with Early Childhood Education. She obtained her HIPPY Coordinator Certificate and worked with the HIPPY childhood development program. A program that addresses the diverse needs of families that struggle with conditions of poverty and low levels of literacy. The HIPPY program has helped over 22,000 families in over 8 countries worldwide. At the young age of 19 she became Project Manager and Research Assistant of the Aboriginal HIPPY program.

During these years while working for various non-profit organizations she still found time to attend college. However, it was rather difficult juggling work and school so she decided to focus her energy on her studies. Shannon’s life then took a turn, she was approached by various agents, and became involved with modeling and acting. She fell in love with both art forms and has been acting and modeling ever since. She maintained her studies during this time.

She has been on a variety of television shows, films and videos. Recently, she and her twin sister made a celebrity guest appearance on “The Tyra Banks Show”. Both of them also landed an acting role on an episode of the television show “Smallville”. Some of her other acting experience includes films such as: “Sharp as Marbles”, “Night of Removal”, “Time after Place”, “Family Portraits”, “History Lesson”, and a “Magical History Tour”. She has also been in several music videos. Recently a cover story on the twins was featured on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network on the show called “Venturing Forth”. She has also been featured on the show “Creative Native”. She has done several radio interviews for radio stations across the US and Canada.

Shannon has been in print, editorials, advertisements and has been in several runway shows. To name a few magazines: UMM Magazine, Vancouver Magazine, Canadian Living Magazine and Thick Magazine.

Shannon has many hobbies that include, rock-climbing, playing the guitar, tennis, gardening, yoga, linguistics, jogging, skiing, reading, aerobics, writing, song writing, roller-blading, dance (jazz, swing, tap, native traditional), cliff jumping, skim boarding, singing, sewing, fashion, poetry, hiking, web design and going to powwows.

Shannon loves her family and attributes her accomplishments to them. She holds her First Nations culture close to her heart and is proud to say that she is a First Nations woman. She believes that with hard work, sacrifice and determination anyone can attain their dreams.