Indigenous Blanket Exercise

'Celebrate Our Identity' - Alberta Culture Days, September 2023

Workshop facilitated by Lisa L'Hirondelle, Metis/Cree Crafter, Moonbeadz

Ages 16+

What is the Blanket Exercise?

Developed in collaboration with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and educators, the Blanket Exercise 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, which may include 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.

Registration required, ages 16+

Thank you to the Government of Alberta for their support in making this program possible.