Shannon Baker

Shannon Baker
Born	Stellat'en First Nation reservation, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation	model and actress
Height	5'8
Website	http://www.thebakertwins.com

Shannon Baker Canadian model, actress, spokesperson, and businessperson,^[1] better known with her twin sister Shauna as the The Baker Twins.^[2] She and her twin sister appeared on Tyra Banks' talk show The Tyra Banks Show to talk about the stereotypes put on Native American and First Nations people and lack of representation.^[1]

Early life

Shannon Baker is Dakelh from the Stellat'en First Nation

Shannon Baker was born in the Stellat'en First Nation, British Columbia, Canada.^[1] Shannon is of the Carrier tribe.^[1][2] As a baby an elder put warm bee honey in the palm of her hands so that she may have strong artistic abilities.^[1] She has always been in competitions since being a small child.^[1] At age 16, she was in competition for classical music.^[1]

Personal life

Shannon Baker is Dakelh from the Stellat'en First Nation. In keeping with the traditions of the Carrier-Sekani people, Shannon and Shauna were raised by their grandmother, Emma Baker.^[2] Shannon competed in the Miss Universe Canada 2007 pageant without Shauna by her side. She explained that the competition made her more aware of how being a twin was a "huge facet of her identity". The twins believe being identified as a unit works to their advantage. Shannon Baker currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Career

Modeling

Runway Model Shannon Baker

Model: Shannon Baker

Shannon's first introduction into modeling occurred in a shopping mall, but Shannon and her sister believed it was scam.^[1] Shannon and her twin sister were frequently being approached by agencies, and decided to inspect each one closely.^[1] Both women manage their own model careers, and have been featured in several magazines such as:UMM Magazine, Vancouver Magazine, and Say Magazine. Shannon stated with her sister: "We firmly believe that First Nations people need to be represented in mainstream media a lot more, and feel that we can help to facilitate a positive profile for our people through initiatives like the Miss Universe Canada Pageant...I hope I can represent First Nations people in a really good way and that's why I am competing in the pageant.^[2] "

When Shannon competed in the Miss Universe Canada pageant she found the competition made her more aware of how being a twin was a "huge facet of her identity".^[3]

In 2007, Shannon and Shauna were scouted by a modeling scout from Playboy but declined the offer. In an interview Shauna recounted the experience:

"We have gone this far keeping a clean image, why throw that out the window now? We want to show young ladies that you can be a good girl and still make it in this industry. There are enough half naked girls shown on television and music videos already, I wouldn’t want to blend in with them. Plus, I would be horrified if my little sister and little cousins saw me nude in a magazine."

Shannon added:

"We do not need Playboy to pioneer our careers. We will make it without being in Playboy. The industry is changing, and our generation will be the ones that pioneer that change. We want to work harder and so, we aren't going to take our clothes off just to boost our careers. We would rather take a route with obstacles rather than what many deem to be the ‘easy’ path.^[4] "

Fitness

Shannon and her twin sister Shauna Baker are also fitness models and have produced numerous Fitness Videos.

Television and Film

Shannon and Shauna have been featured in the television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Smallville and Blue Mountain State.^[2]

The twins made an appearance on The Tyra Banks Show in 2007 to discuss stereotypes they deal with in the entertainment industry, as well as the media, and the misconceptions they have of First Nations people.^[3]

She has been a variety of music videos including Kylie Minogue's All the Lovers & Slipknot's Killpop.

Films

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Television

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Television Appearances

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References

External links

• Official website