TRCA’s Youth Council hosted a virtual KAIROS Blanket Exercise on February 4, 2023.
A KAIROS 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.
Jessica Castellucci, Youth Council Executive Member, shares her experience:
My participation in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise was extremely enlightening. Prior to this, I truly thought I possessed a well-rounded understanding of Canadian history. However, this exercise shared an entirely new set of perspectives and experiences.
It made me realize that my experience in the Canadian educational system did not adequately or sufficiently address the severity of colonialism on Indigenous peoples in Canada. While the curriculum provided me with a generalized knowledge base on the history of these extremely problematic practices, it did not share and honour Indigenous perspectives.
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise, however, did an incredible job of this. Not only did it share this history from a more nuanced perspective, it also encouraged participants to develop personal connections to the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples.
Participants were asked to draw a map of their home or community with several identifiable elements (e.g. living spaces, educational institutions, recreational facilities, community amenities, etc.). Throughout the course of the day, participants were asked to tear away these elements one at a time.
By the end of the exercise, we were each left with shredded fragments of our lives and communities. This allowed us to develop a more personal understanding of what happened to Indigenous communities as a result of Canadian colonialism.
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise ended with a group reflection in which participants were invited to share their thoughts and feelings about what they had learned throughout the afternoon.
Initially, I felt an incredible sense of sadness, guilt and responsibility. After further reflection, I realized that I cannot hold myself accountable for the actions of others. However, I do have a responsibility to continue to learn about Indigenous culture and history. In doing so, I ensure that I acknowledge and honour the experiences of Indigenous communities that faced injustice.
