Blanket exercise

The 1996 report of the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples contained recommendations to improve relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, including education as one of the key steps to reconciliation.[1] In response to these recommendations, KAIROS, a Canadian faith-based ecumenical organization, developed the program in 1997 in consultation with Indigenous elders and representatives.[2] The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 again identified education as a key area for improving relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, after which the blanket exercise grew in popularity.[3][4]

Blanket exercise events tell the story of Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective.[4] Participants stand on blankets that represent lands inhabited by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.[5][6] The facilitator, playing the role of a European "settler", walks the group through a script, telling the story of the first contact between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.[5] As the script progresses, blankets are folded and made smaller, representing the results of the loss of land by treaty and newly legislated reserves.[2] People are asked to step off their blankets, symbolizing disease, war, and extinction.[2] Blankets are removed or moved to other areas, showing the way land was taken and peoples relocated.[5]

At the end of the exercise, only a handful of "survivors" are left standing on small squares of blankets, representing the small number of Indigenous people remaining on their traditional lands in Canada.[2] The exercise concludes with the participants discussing the experience in groups.[6]

Blanket exercises have taken place in churches, schools, community centres, and businesses across Canada.[2] In May 2016, a series of blanket exercises were held in capital cities across Canada, culminating in a workshop on Parliament Hill on May 31, with more than 800 participants.[7][8][9]

• Official website