DOCSLIB.ORG

The Blanket Exercise

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Blanket Exercise The Blanket Exercise A teaching tool by KAIROS to raise awareness and understanding of the nation to nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. TWO VERSIONS INCLUDED: GraDES 4-8 AND GraDES 9-12/ADULT In this booklet you will find two different versions of the Welcome to the script: one for grades 4-8 and one for grades 9-12/adults. Hopefully doing the Blanket Exercise will inspire participants Blanket Exercise to take action on the injustices facing Indigenous peoples. At the end of the booklet you will find a list of suggested follow-up activities. The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an enormously popular and successful teaching tool that uses participatory You are invited to explore and use this exercise in your popular education methodology to raise awareness of the community, school, group, or place of worship. Please do nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non- not hesitate to contact us with questions on any stage of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and to teach a history the process, or with advice on how we can make the Blanket of Canada that most people do not learn. Exercise even better! Since its creation in 1997, it has been done hundreds of times with thousands of people of all ages and from all ABOUT KAIROS: KAIROS unites eleven national Canadian churches and backgrounds, by a wide variety of groups, both Indigenous religious organizations in faithful work for human rights and non-Indigenous, as a way to open, or continue, the and ecological justice through research, education, conversation about decolonization. partnership, and advocacy. In 1996, RCAP concluded that Designed to deepen understanding of the denial of public education is key to realizing a renewed relationship Indigenous peoples’ nationhood, the Blanket Exercise between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples - one explores the major themes and recommendations of the based on sharing, respect and the mutual recognition of Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP), examines rights and responsibilities. Through creative and innovative how federal policies and programs impact the lives public education initiatives and campaigns such as the of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and identifies what Blanket Exercise, KAIROS works towards a just, peaceful Indigenous peoples and their allies are doing to bring and respectful relationship between Indigenous and non- about positive change. Indigenous peoples that recognizes Indigenous peoples’ rights, including the right to self-determination. As the name suggests, the Blanket Exercise begins with blankets arranged on the floor to represent Canada before the arrival of Europeans. The participants, who represent Indigenous peoples, begin by moving around on the blankets. While a narrator reads from a script, other participants – representing the Europeans or newcomers - join and begin to interact with those on the blankets. As the script traces the history of the relationship between Europeans and Indigenous nations in Canada, the participants respond to various cues and interact by reading prepared scrolls. At the end of the exercise only a few people remain on blankets which have been folded into small bundles and cover only a fraction of their original area. 2 Blanket Exercise | © KAIROS, 2012 GoaL: of time, give them a copy of the script, and ask if they To engage participants in the historic relationship between would agree to play the role of the European(s) (or choose Europeans and the Indigenous nations, and in the a confident member of your group on the spot). Copy and colonization of the land we now call Canada. roll the scrolls, identifying them on the outside by number or letter and type. For the grades 4-8 script, the scrolls for WHat YOU NEED: photocopying are found on page 15 and for the Grades • 10 (or more) blankets 9-12/adult script, the scrolls are on page 43. Also, gather the necessary number of coloured cards. • Scrolls - At the end of each of the two versions of the script you will find the corresponding “scrolls”. Print these pages, The ideal number of participants for this exercise is about roll them as scrolls, and indicate on the outside their type 25, but it can be easily and successfully adapted for smaller and number. If possible, use coloured paper to distinguish groups by having participants read more than one scroll. the scrolls from each other to make them easier to identify The key is to ensure that there are some participants left on during the exercise. Note that the scrolls with letters are the blankets at the end of the exercise. Groups larger than used by the European character(s), while ones with 25 can also be easily accommodated by using the “fish-bowl” numbers are used by Participants. approach, which means having have some participants play • Index cards: white, yellow and blue (if you don’t have active roles on the blankets while others observe in a circle coloured cards you can always write the colour on the around the group and help to read the scrolls. cards, or on pieces of paper). You will need enough white and yellow cards for just over half of the participants, and As the facilitator, please keep in mind that some groups find two blue cards. Mark one of the yellow cards with an “X”. the exercise emotional and will react in different ways. Some may laugh inappropriately or get angry. It is important to • A narrator and at least one person to act as the European. remember this during the debrief session. You may want to Both should be comfortable reading aloud. consider asking the group why certain reactions happened • 3 maps from the Report of the Royal Commission on at certain points. This type of discussion can help sensitize Aboriginal Peoples, which you will find in the centre of the the participants and may avoid lingering questions about booklet – “Turtle Island”, “Treaties” and “Aboriginal Lands what kind of behaviour or reaction is appropriate. Today”. (You may consider scanning these and presenting them on a projector). SOME coNCEpts AND TERMINOLOGY to REVIEW BEFORE GEttiNG startED: TIME REQUIRED: What is a treaty? Doing the Blanket Exercise takes one hour; it’s always better Treaties are internationally binding agreements between not to rush it. Reflecting together afterwards is important, sovereign nations. Hundreds of treaties of peace and so take as much time as possible. The larger the group, the friendship were concluded between the European settlers more time you will need. and First Nations during the period prior to confederation. These treaties promoted peaceful coexistence and the PREparatioN: sharing of resources. After Confederation, the European Depending on the age of the participants, choose the settlers pursued treaty making as a tool to acquire vast appropriate version of the Blanket Exercise script and read tracts of land, and the numbered treaties 1 through 11 over it carefully. Ideally, speak to one or two people ahead were concluded between First Nations and the Crown. Blanket Exercise | © KAIROS, 2012 3 For Indigenous peoples, treaties outline the rights and TERMINOLOGY responsibilities of all parties to the agreement. In the Indigenous peoples is a term for which there is no one traditions of Indigenous treaty making, these are oral definition because it is up to each Indigenous person to agreements. In addition, they are “vital, living instruments define themselves, something that for far too long has been of relationship” (RCAP) that involve all Canadians. done by others. Cree lawyer Sharon Venne suggests that being Indigenous means being “descendants of the people “To us the answer is not about incremental change, it is not occupying a territory when the colonizers arrived.” about just concrete action, it is also repairing the relationship. And the way to repair the relationship between us and Canada Indigenous is a word that has come into widespread use is to have this country acknowledge that its richness and its through the recognition that those people who are the original wealth come from their one‐sided interpretation of the treaties. inhabitants of a place, and who have been marginalized by There has to be henceforth a double understanding of what ethnic groups who arrived later, have much in common with those treaties represent.” (Ovide Mecredi, Crown-First Nations other peoples worldwide with the same experience. Gathering 2012) Not only does the word speak to global solidarity amongst What does it mean to be a sovereign nation? these peoples, but it has important legal significance as well. A sovereign nation enjoys the right to self-determination and Indigenous peoples’ rights have been recognized at the has a governance structure and territory that is recognized international level in various ways but most importantly in by other nations. While European nations focus on the the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous protection of individual rights, Indigenous nations centre on Peoples, which was adopted by the United Nations General collective rights such as land, language, spiritual traditions, Assembly in 2007 and endorsed by Canada in November 2010. and self-governance, to name a few. Indigenous individuals When we speak of peoples, as opposed to people, it is a rely on strong nations for their well-being because they recognition of collective rights: that each Indigenous people protect and nurture the collective rights through which an is a distinct entity with its own cultural and political rights. individual finds cultural meaning and identity. The Indigenous struggle for sovereignty is a struggle for nationhood and Aboriginal peoples refers to the original peoples of North many believe that the recognition of Indigenous nationhood America who belong to historic, cultural and political will enhance, not diminish, Canadian sovereignty. The treaties entities. Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes three are central to sovereignty and nationhood as they address groups of Aboriginal peoples: First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reconciliation Activities for Children
    Reconciliation Activities for Children Justice Ministries Reconciliation Activities for Children Justice Ministries Editor: Anne Saunders Editorial Assistance: Carragh Erhardt, Katharine Masterton Graphic Design: Tim Faller Design Inc. Contributors: Justice Ministries gratefully acknowledges contributions from: The Rev. Dr. Margaret Mullin & Medicine Wheel (Activity #1) The Rev. Shannon Bell-Wyminga KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Blanket Exercise (Activity #2) Justice Initiatives Anne Saunders Memories (Activity #3) Allison Dyjach Keeping Promises (Activity #4) Laura Alary Shannen’s Dream (Activity #5) Every effort has been made to trace copyright on the materials included in this resource. If any copyrighted material has nevertheless been included without permission and due acknowledgement, proper credit will be inserted in future printings after notice has been received. Unless otherwise indicated, biblical references are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, ©1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Permission is granted for congregational leaders and individuals to photocopy material in this resource. They are asked to credit the source for materials used. The text may also be downloaded from the website at http://presbyterian.ca/resources/resources-hr/ . Justice Ministries thanks the Rev. Katherine Bretzlaff (SK), the Rev. Teresa Charlton (BC), Allison Dyjach (ON), Martha Fergusson (SK), the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Gaver (ON), the Rev. Beth Mattinson
    [Show full text]
  • Blanket Exercise
    17 October 2017 THE KAIROS Blanket Exercise A teaching tool to share the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. About the Blanket Exercise: The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an experiential teaching tool based on participatory popular education methodology, the major themes and findings of the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and the 2015 Calls to Action & Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Participants step onto blankets representing the land, and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. Facilitators read the script and assume the role of European explorers and settlers. The exercise builds awareness and understanding of our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by having participants literally walk through situations that include pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Participants are drawn into their roles by reading scrolls and carrying cards which ultimately determine their outcomes. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise effectively educates while increasing empathy. It reaches both the mind and the heart. It is KAIROS’ most popular teaching tool, and is contributing to a movement for reconciliation through education across the country. What others have said: The Blanket Exercise is an excellent means of educating Canadians about the history of this land. The AFN is proud to partner with KAIROS Canada to heighten awareness and reconciliation through this very important and powerful activity. Assembly of First Nations The Blanket Exercise is essential and serves as a community tool that links participants with the past, increasing their knowledge of what took place and how it needs to be understood.
    [Show full text]
  • Blanket Exercise Indigenous & NonIndigenous Relationships
    Activity Blanket Exercise Indigenous & nonIndigenous relationships What the TRC says about reconciliation It requires that the paternalistic and racist foundations of the residential school system be rejected as the basis for an ongoing relationship. Reconciliation requires that a new vision, based on a commitment to mutual respect, be developed. It also requires an understanding that the most harmful impacts of residential schools have been the loss of pride and self-respect of Aboriginal people, and the lack of respect that non-Aboriginal people have been raised to have for their Aboriginal neighbours. Reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem; it is a Canadian one. Inviting an Who are Communicating with Parents Indigenous speaker Indigenous These activities and the conversations The best way to learn people? may affect children (and adults) about Indigenous people The Indigenous differently. Read the section about is from an Indigenous (or Aboriginal) communicating with parents in the Elder. Contact a Friendship people in Canada are Introduction on page 6. Each activity Centre . For protocols for First Nations, Inuit includes a sample letter for parents and inviting Elders, see page 6 and Métis. See page includes suggestions for what you may in the Introduction to this 4 in the introduction say to parents about the activities. resource. for definitions. Adapt them to suit your group’s needs. Self-Care for Leaders The facts about colonization, residential schools and other discriminatory practices in Canada can be difficult for people of any age to learn. To help yourself and others, read “Pastoral Care” on page 5 in the Introduction to Reconciliation Activities.
    [Show full text]
  • RAVENS: Ravens Are Such Common Birds That When We See Them, We Often Don’T Give Them a Second Thought
    RAVENS: Ravens are such common birds that when we see them, we often don’t give them a second thought. However, the robust existence of this species across North America is strong evidence of the raven’s capacity for resilience and its ability to adapt. Ravens, have long memories and excellent communication skills, which have contributed to their survival, and they have proved that they can survive in almost any environment. To many Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) Peoples, ravens are also a familiar character in traditional stories within their Nations. They are often regarded as important messengers whose warnings tell of an impending danger or truth that must be faced, or somehow exposed. In some stories, they may be portrayed as sneaky or as a trickster. A trickster may be a character in a story that exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge, and uses it to play tricks or otherwise disobey normal rules and conventional behavior, but most often, the raven’s actions end up benefitting humankind. Imagine what long-ago ravens would have seen as they flew over Turtle Island, the land that we now know as North America? They would have seen clean air and water, rich animal and plant life, and many Indigenous communities living in balance and harmony with the land around them. For thousands of years, there were many Indigenous Nations, each with their own governance structures and justice systems, and many of them connected through wide-ranging trade markets, and specific family roles and responsibilities. Although there were, and continue to be, many different Indigenous Nations and cultures, they all share a strong belief in respecting Mother Earth, and respect for water, air, fire, and all living creatures in a way that both protected the present and ensured the sustainability of future generations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Blanket Exercise
    THE BLANKET EXERCISE Lorrilee McGregor, Assistant Professor Northern Ontario School of Medicine May 3, 2019 Disclosure of Affiliations and Financial Support Presenter: Lorrilee McGregor Affiliations: • I have no relationships with for-profit or not-for-profit organizations. Financial Support: • This session/program has not received financial or in-kind support. Learning objectives: 1. To engage participants in the historic relationship between Europeans and the Indigenous nations, and in the history of colonization of the lands we now call Canada. 2. To make it clear that Indigenous peoples continue to exist as living communities and continue to have distinct rights and identities as nations, under the treaties and the Constitution. 3. To help participants explore and begin to acknowledge the continuing impact of colonization on Indigenous communities. 4. To put the impact of colonization and Residential Schools into a wider context. Format for the Blanket Exercise 1. Background on KAIROS 2. Your role as a participant 3. Terminology and concepts 4. Moving onto the blankets 5. Script (roles: narrator, European, Indigenous peoples) 6. Debrief 7. Now what? KAIROS • Ecumenical organization that includes 11 churches and religions that work for human rights and ecological justice through research, education, partnership, and advocacy. • The Blanket Exercise was originally created in 1998 following the release of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. It was revised in 2013. • “…intended to raise awareness of the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.” • “…to deepen understanding of the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout Canadian history.” • “…examines how federal policies and programs impact the lives of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and identifies what Indigenous peoples and their allies are doing to bring about positive change.” Your role as a participant • The Blanket Exercise is designed to invite people to walk in the shoes of Indigenous peoples.
    [Show full text]
  • Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Agenda
    BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING Greater St. Albert Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 734 District Office 6 St. Vital Ave., St. Albert, AB T8N 1K2 | Phone: 780-459-7711 AGENDA Monday, January 30, 2017 | 2:00 P.M. Call to Order 3:30 P.M. – Public Meeting 1. Call to Order: Serena Shaw 2. In-Camera 3. Out-of-Camera at 3:30 pm 4. Opening Prayer: Rosaleen McEvoy 5. Acknowledgment of Territories: Serena Shaw The Greater St. Albert Catholic School Board acknowledges that it is meeting on the original lands of the Cree, those of Treaty 6, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation. 6. Approval of Agenda 7. Presentation Delegation 8. Approval of Minutes & Summaries 8.1 Regular Board Meeting Minutes of January 16, 2017 Attached 9. Approval of Committee & Event Reports from Advocacy Committee Meetings 10. Good News (Communication & Community Relations) Attached 11. Questions from the Public (Questions are submitted in writing on the Thursday prior to meeting. Information and the form can be found on the District website located on the District website at http://bit.ly/1SLTFSh.) Attached 12. Consent Items (The Chair will ask for a motion to receive and to approve all recommendations contained therein. Prior to approving the motion, any trustee may request the status of a consent item be changed to an action item. 13. Action Items 13.1 2017-2018 Board Directed Instruction Fees (Schlag) Attached 13.2 Sister Alphonse Consultation Summary (Nixon, Bruineman) Attached 13.3 Designation of Schools for New Lands (Schlag) Attached 14. New Business …2 15.
    [Show full text]
  • Blanket Exercise
    The Blanket Exercise Fourth Edition An experiential teaching tool for grades 4 – 12 and adults that helps participants understand the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome to the KAIROS Welcome to the Blanket Exercise .............2 Blanket Exercise How it works .....................................................2 This one hour participatory workshop will help participants What you need ................................................2 understand how colonization of the land we now know as Canada has impacted the people who lived here long before settlers arrived. Concepts and terminology .........................5 Through this exercise participants will explore the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Beginning ..........................................................7 Canada, how this relationship has been damaged over the years, and how they can work toward reconciliation. Youth script ................................................8–14 HOW IT WORKS: Adult script ..............................................15–23 The activity begins with blankets arranged on the floor to represent Canada before the arrival of Europeans. Participants representing Resources and learning activities ........ 24 Indigenous peoples move around on the blankets, as if they are using and occupying the land. A narrator reads from a script while someone Case studies ................................................... 25 playing the
    [Show full text]