Kairos Blanket Exercise • Parliament Hill • September 30th

* This event begins at 1pm. *Participants please bring a blanket.

A National Day of Truth and Reconciliation calls on Canadians to understand more about Indigenous history and cultures in Canada.

This is a unique opportunity to learn on this historic day.

Join us on Parliament HIll and participate in the Kairos Blanket Exercse.

From: https://www.kairosblanketexercise.org/programs/

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.

*IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION - The Kairos Exercise was born from the The United Church of Canada's contribution to fulfilling the recommendations of the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The United Church of Canada is responsible for operating 15 residential schools between 1849 and 1969.

Kairos has declined our invitation to conduct a blanket exercise on Parliament Hill for A National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. With much disappointment, we have reached out to trained Kairos Blanket Exercise Facilitators to do an independant exercise on September 30, 2021 @ Parliament Hill from 2pm - 4pm

Because this workshop requires people to be close together, all participants will be required to wear masks and show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

Host or Publisher Pass The Feather Aboriginal Arts Collective of Canada