The Aboriginal Rights Coalition (ARC), a precursor to KAIROS, created the KAIROS Blanket Exercise in 1997. The goal of this workshop was to introduce Canadians to the major themes and findings of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) report from 1996. The RCAP report highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Over the years, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise has evolved and expanded under the guidance of KAIROS, with Indigenous leadership playing a central role. The Exercise has been widely used in schools, churches and community centers helping to raise awareness and promote reconciliation.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, KAIROS developed a virtual version of the exercise (vKBE), which helped expand its reach into more communities.
In 2023, KAIROS initiated strategic improvements to further enhance the KAIROS Blanket Exercise, centering Indigenous voices and fostering meaningful change. These improvements included consultations with the KAIROS community through in-person and virtual forums to develop a robust KBE Framework that includes the partnership model
The KBE continues to offer people in Canada and beyond a profound and transformative experience, rooted in Indigenous wisdom and guided by the teachings of Elders. Together, we honour the stories and histories of Indigenous Peoples, fostering a deeper connection and commitment to building a more inclusive and respectful world.
Behind the logo
Anna Chief, a long-standing instructor and facilitator, created the logo for a mass KAIROS Blanket Exercise in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The turtle on the community pin reflects the creation story of Turtle Island, who’s shell is covered in blankets, representing the land as used in the KAIROS Blanket Exercise. These elements are enclosed in a circle, which is symbolic of equality, having neither beginning nor end and holding that which cannot be broken, the spirit of the First Peoples.
Since then, the turtle in the background was added and represents Turtle Island and all the First Peoples who are the original caretakers of this land.