My Experience with the Blanket Exercise

Last month my mom and I took part I something called “The Blanket Exercise” at my church. They described the experience as “A teaching tool to share the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.” I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly skeptical considering that it was through my catholic faith church, the same religion and church that helped in the creation of Residential Schools, but I hoped that it would be a part of the reconciliation movement. Thankfully, it was. Kairos runs this experience in various places run by various members of the group.

During the 2 hours we were there, we were lead through small snippets of what life has been like for the indigenous population throughout the years. We heard the last residential school didn’t close until 1996 and that Indigenous women are 3.5 times more likely to experience violence than non-Indigenous women. We learned that the Europeans purposely gave poisoned items to indigenous people in hopes of wiping them out and claiming their land. We heard that women were stripped of their status because of the inequality in the Indian Act. We were placed in role as children pulled from mothers and fathers and brought to residential schools. We felt guilt as the Europeans continued to fold up the blankets and remove the land from their rightful owners. We felt pain in our hearts as we watched a member of the group step off the land and represent one of the thousand of children who were tortured, assimilated and lost to the horrors of Residential Schools.

It was not an easy thing to be a part of, but I know that the pain and sadness I felt during those two hours were nothing compared to what generations of indigenous people have gone through. Kairos believes that for an attempt at reconciliation to be done, there must first be understanding. As much as I have a hard time believing that we, white people, deserve reconciliation, I do believe that we should be educated on the topic in order to stop history from ever repeating itself, and to honor those who we have wronged. The only way justice can be accomplished is through education on the topic. We can’t take it back. One thing that hit me exceptionally hard throughout this was when the leader said “Education got us into this, and education is the only thing that can get us out.”

After the experience, we sat in a circle and shared how we felt. Many of the participants were older. Me and two others represented the newer generation. Many of the men and women there shared stories of having friends who were indigenous and how they felt as though they could have or should have helped. Others shared stories of having tea with older indigenous friends in Saskatchewan, and remembering them talk about how their children had been taken to school, away from their homes.

What hit me hardest, was the quiet older lady in the back. When it was her time to speak, she took a while. She sat with tears in her eyes. When she spoke, she sent tears down my face. “I was a teacher in Alberta. I didn’t know. I didn’t see the bigger picture…and I am sorry. I am so sorry. I didn’t know. I pray that future teachers can undo what I have done.”

The experience I had was immeasurable. Not only did it enhance my empathy for the horrible situation, but it gave me the tools to make a change. After the discussion, we separated into groups and discussed what we can do with this information now that we had it. We vowed to speak up about the issues, and to correct those who use slurs. We vowed to further educate ourselves. We promised to support and attend other events. I promised to become a teacher who educates on the truth of Canadian History and not simply brush it under the rug like many before me.

I advise any who are interested in attending a blanket exercise to reach out to me for information. They are always looking for leaders and places to host the event.

#residentialschools #education