The KAIROS Blanket Exercise (KBE) is an interactive way of learning the history of Indigenous peoples in an emotional and impactful manner. Developed in collaboration with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and educators, the 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.

Sue Wilson, an individual positively impacted by KAIROS, has shared the following message: "Over the last twenty years, KAIROS has helped to stir my evolving understanding of myself as a Settler, as someone who has benefitted from the legacy of colonialism in Canada, and as a member of a Treaty people. KAIROS provides opportunities to listen deeply to Indigenous persons, to be transformed by their words and challenges, and to be moved to advocate for policy change."

https://www.kairoscanada.org/what-we-do/indigenous-rights/blanket-exercise