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The KAIROS Blanket exercise (KBE) is an interactive and experiential workshop that educates people of more than 500 years of history. It communicates the historic and current relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the land we now know as Canada. The KBE was created in 1997 together with Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers and educators.
During this 2-3 hour workshop, participants are guided by trained facilitators Tina Savea and her co-facilitator as they step on blankets representing the land and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Participants engage by reading scrolls when cued and carrying cards which ultimately determine their outcome as they literally ‘walk’ through situations that include pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance.
The KBE concludes with a debriefing, conducted as a “talking circle” during which participants are given the opportunity to discuss the learning experience, process their feelings, ask questions, share insights and deepen their understanding.
The Kairos Blanket Exercise embarks on emotional and intellectual levels, and both educates and creates empathy and understanding.