The Blanket Exercise will be hosted at Mountainview on Sunday evening, May 24 @ 7 – 8:30 PM and will be co-facilitated by Adrian Jacobs and Cindy Stover, both of whom work for the CRC.  
We will begin with a potluck at 6 PM.

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 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 who work from a script designed for audiences ages 12+ 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.

Adrian Jacobs is Ganosono, Turtle Clan, Cayuga Nation, Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Grand River Country in Southern Ontario, Turtle Island. He is a single father of five and grandfather of four. An artist, writer, indigenous advocate, entrepreneur, and public speaker he founded an Indigenous church on his home reserve. For 45 years he trained Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in spiritual and social service in various venues throughout the United States and Canada. His personal and professional studies include Indigenous worldviews, cultures, and health, through a culturally affirming approach. He serves NAIITS An Indigenous Learning Community as Elder Liaison for the NAIITS Elders Circle. Currently he is Senior Leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation for the Christian Reformed Church.

Cindy Stover serves as the Canadian Justice Mobilizer for the Christian Reformed Church. In this role, she supports Canadian churches and communities through learning experiences, relationship building, and resource development with a concentration on advocacy, Indigenous justice, climate care, and refugee justice. Cindy is interested in seeing people enact justice and mercy in every area of our lives, from how we shop, to how we talk to our neighbours, to how our communities respond to the most vulnerable. 

BYOB (blanket).

Here are two videos which tell a little more: 

Watch “Welcome to the Blanket Exercise” here… https://vimeo.com/129161339?fl=pl&fe=sh