A brief history of Canada’s indigenous people will be presented at the Blanket Exercise, an interactive learning experience, on May 28.
The exercise covers more than 500 years of history in a workshop, with participants taking on the roles of indigenous people in Canada.
Standing on blankets which represent land, they are taken through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance.During this presentation, some of the blankets are removed.
“It’s a visual image of what has happened over the years,” said Debbie Hubbard, one of the facilitators of the exercise.
The exercise is followed by a debriefing session, giving the participants an opportunity to discuss their experience and to consider historic treatment of aboriginal people in Canada.
“The intent is for people to reflect on the experience and what to do in response,” Hubbard said. “This is not about feeling guilty; this is about hearing the truth.”
The Blanket Exercise began more than 20 years ago, following the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, which recommended education about Canadian-Indigenous history as one of the key steps to reconciliation.
It is organized through Kairos Canada, a Canadian faith-based ecumenical organization, working for social change.
The Blanket Exercise in Summerland will be held at the Summerland Community Arts Centre, 9525 Wharton St. on May 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.