About this Course

The Blanket Exercise is an interactive educational program that teaches the history of indigenous peoples in Canada and provides an opportunity for experiential, emotional, and thoughtful learning. The Blanket Exercise tells the story of first contact between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Blankets are used to represent land and the historic process of colonization and its effects on modern day relationships between Indigenous and non-indigenous people. The exercise will be facilitated by Shelley Saje Ricci (aka Shelley Bear), through Kairos Blanket Exercise. Shelley is a mixed heritage woman of European and Indigenous ancestry. She is Cree, Mohawk and Metis with paternal ties to the Michel Band located in the Treaty 6 Territory near Amiskwaciwaskahikan (Amis-gwitchy-was-guy-gun - Beaver hills house), now known as Edmonton. She works as an Indigenous Youth Care Worker and Cultural Advocate at Surrey Schools and is a strong Union Activist/Educator on topics of reconciliation, anti-Indigenous racism and Indigenous, Women's and Human rights.