Blanket Exercise
Photos: Bing Xie
Blanket Exercise
A step in righting relations with Indigenous Peoples
By Wendy Bergeron
Glebe-St. James United Church plays an important role in the Glebe, creating opportunities for engagement for anyone wanting to commit to social justice and inclusion. We are committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Our ReconciliAction Working Group has worked over the past couple of years to educate ourselves and our community on the history and contributions of the First Peoples and we are working to build relationships with local Indigenous communities and service organizations.
We deepened our understanding of the history of what is now known as Canada by hosting a Blanket Exercise on February 23. This learning event, guided by Indigenous facilitators, told participants the history of Canada from the Indigenous point of view, and helped address call to action 59 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The United Church of Canada was one of the churches asked to educate its congregations on their role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families and their communities were necessary.
What is a Blanket Exercise?
The 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples contained recommendations to improve relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians, including education as one of the key steps to reconciliation. In response to these recommendations, in 1997, KAIROS, a Canadian faith-based ecumenical organization, developed the Blanket Exercise in consultation with Indigenous elders and representatives, as an interactive way of learning the history most Canadians are never taught. Since 1997, it has since been offered thousands of times. The program was updated in 2023 and this new updated program, led by an Indigenous facilitator, is the one we experienced on February 23.
What happened at the Blanket Exercise on February 23?
The activity began with blankets arranged on the floor to represent Canada before the arrival of Europeans. Directed by the Indigenous facilitators and using prepared scripts as well as their personal stories to tell the story, all the participants were invited at the beginning to stand on the blankets. Participants were given an identity as a First Nations, Inuit or Metis person. Individuals were then directed to move around, based on events affecting Indigenous people. At the end of the exercise only a few people remained on the blankets, which had been folded into increasingly smaller bundles and covered only a fraction of their original area.
Participants were visibly affected by the narration and the experience as they listened to Indigenous perspectives they may not have previously heard and told by the descendants of survivors of centuries of mistreatment.
By involving us in a holistic way, the Blanket Exercise is helping us to understand how churches were involved in colonization and residential schools, and how the federal government policies and practices impact on and continue to influence the lives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Here are some reflections from participants:
“I learned that my perspective and education were insufficient and colonially centered.”
“I learned that I am at a point where learning is no longer enough. I want to do more.”
“Although this was my second time experiencing the Blanket Exercise, hearing once again the truth about the incredible hardships, loss of land, culture, spiritual practices, etc., really brought home the injustice of it all. I am heartened by the courage and work of the indigenous people who do this hard work. Also that the community of GSJ [Glebe-St. James] is committed to walking this path of reconciliation. I find the work that is happening genuine and encouraging.”
This is my church. If you are committed to making a difference in a world that increasingly needs kindness, come join us! You’d be welcome.
Wendy Bergeron is chair of Council at Glebe-St. James United Church.