What Is The KAIROS Blanket Exercise?
Developed in collaboration with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and educators, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise (KBE) 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, including 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.
Over the past two decades, thousands of KAIROS Blanket Exercises have been delivered in Canada and around the world, including in the United States, Central and South America, Europe, and Australia. By engaging participants on both emotional and intellectual levels, the KBE both educates and creates empathy and understanding.
Virtual KAIROS Blanket Exercise
KAIROS has developed a virtual KAIROS Blanket Exercise workshop that is now available for booking. This online session honours the experiential and participatory elements of the in-person KBE, while making adjustments for a safe experience in an online environment. Hosted by experienced KBE facilitators, the online session can accommodate groups between 20 and 45 people, and is scheduled for two and a half hours. For more information on the virtual KBE, please visit the vKBE page.