CAMC Trains 15 New KAIROS Blanket Exercise Facilitators

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. — 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NIV)

On March 23-24 the Canadian Aboriginal Ministry Committee (CAMC) and the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue hosted a two-day Blanket Exercise facilitator training workshop with staff of KAIROS Canada at the Christian Reformed Church offices in Burlington, Ont.

Fifteen new Blanket Exercise facilitators were trained, many of whom are CRC members in southern and eastern Ontario, and some CRC members came from as far away as New Mexico.

In addition to the training, CAMC hosted a Blanket Exercise for CRC staff and local CRC members. About 30 people attended the exercise, which was guided by CRC staff, who welcomed Dale Cimolai from Nipissing First Nation to share her knowledge as an Indigenous elder.

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise was developed by KAIROS Canada, an ecumenical organization of which the Christian Reformed Church is a member, to help participants understand a more complete history of Canada and to recognize why reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples is needed.

The exercise is a tool that literally walks participants through the history of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, using blankets, props, and readings. Much of the content is written and edited by Indigenous people.

“Reconciliation should matter to Christians because we have all been given the gift of reconciliation ourselves, to God through Christ, and therefore, as Christ-followers, working toward reconciliation with one another isn’t optional,” said CRCNA Justice Mobilizer Cindy Stover.

“It’s the very DNA of who we are and what we are called to do. Reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is crucial for us as Christians because we know of the injustices that have been done to Indigenous peoples and their cultures in the name of God.

“We know that what was done overwhelmingly did not demonstrate the love, grace, and welcome of a reconciling Creator, so we must work toward righting those wrongs.”

Over the course of about an hour, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise seeks to dismantle many of the myths and misconceptions that non-Indigenous peoples in North America may carry with regard to Indigenous peoples, not just by countering misconceptions with facts about treaties, displacement, residential schools, and discrimination, but also by including real-life stories from people who experienced injustices.

“The KAIROS Blanket Exercise creates a time and space for learning about common history to build upon,” explained Shannon Perez, a justice and reconciliation mobilizer with the CRC’s Aboriginal Ministries Committee and one of the facilitators of the event.

“George Erasmus has a quote in the exercise that says, ‘Where common memory is lacking, where people do not share in the same past, there can be no real community. Where community is to be formed, common memory must be created.’

“Done respectfully, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise creates a community of listening and learning, whether it is from facts from the script, or personal stories, or an opportunity to hear from Indigenous elders or knowledge keepers and from each other in the sharing circle,” a closing part of the exercise.

“All of this,” added Stover, “leads to a new realization that what we thought we knew is not the whole story, and that there is a great need for non-Indigenous peoples to connect with our Indigenous neighbors, to listen and learn, and to find ways to truly know and value them.”

Erin Knight attended the KAIROS Blanket Exercise in Burlington with her two elementary school-aged sons. 

“I’m so glad I took my boys,” she said after the event. “They need to know the truth of our land's history because I never did, and I never asked, and I never wanted to learn. Thank you to those who facilitated this!”

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is, in fact, growing in popularity at schools, churches, and government and nonprofit organizations. Having 15 newly trained Blanket Exercise facilitators will support CRC and KAIROS Canada staff as they seek to respond to the growing demand from congregations and other groups looking to understand relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Cam Phillips was a participant in the Blanket Exercise facilitator training. “I am excited to now be a part of a movement of reconciliation within the church,” he said.

“I believe that just as Christ has reconciled us, we must do our part to reconcile relationships that have been damaged and broken, and this absolutely extends to our relationships with our Indigenous neighbors.”

Phillips said that the training challenged him to continually find ways to educate himself on facts and myths about Indigenous peoples.

“As a Blanket Exercise facilitator, I look forward to continuing the journey of reconciliation with other Christ-followers in southern Ontario, and to continue to build a strong foundation of truth for reconciliation with our Indigenous neighbors,” he said.

If you’re looking to host a Blanket Exercise with your church, small group, or organization, visit Blanket Exercise or send an email to [email protected].