Blanket Exercise - Community Workshop
| March 18, 2023 | Cranbrook History Centre |
The Cranbrook History Centre would like to invite members of the community to participate in the KAIROD Blanket Exercise March 16th and 18th and gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous experiences in Canada. We are honoured to have Ktunaxa Elder, Margaret Teneese, host this program in collaboration with the Cranbrook History Centre.
What Is The KAIROS Blanket Exercise?
Developed in collaboration with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and educators, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise (KBE) is an interactive and experiential teaching tool that explores the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the land we now know as Canada.
During this 2 to 3-hour workshop, participants step on blankets representing the land and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. They are guided by trained facilitators, including Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers, who work from a script that covers pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization, resistance and much more. Participants read scrolls and respond to cues in the script. The KBE concludes with a debriefing, conducted as a talking circle, during which participants discuss the learning experience, process their feelings, ask questions, share insights, and deepen their understanding.
Over the past two decades, thousands of KAIROS Blanket Exercises have been delivered in Canada and around the world, including in the United States, Central and South America, Europe, and Australia. By engaging participants on both emotional and intellectual levels, the KBE both educates and creates empathy and understanding.
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise at the Cranbrook History Centre is led by a KAIROS trained facilitator and local Ktunaxa Elders.
Reconciliation through Education – We agree with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada that education is the key to reconciliation. Without a shared understanding of how our collective past brought us to where we are today, we will not be able to walk together into a better future. We also understand that education is just one step in this journey and that it must be followed by action.
Registration can be completed here.
