TISDALE — An upcoming exercise open to the public aims to show Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective in an effort to promote reconciliation.
Reconciliation Tisdale, a group of community members committed to supporting the reconciliation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report by providing opportunities for the community, is hosting a KAIROS Blanket Exercise on Saturday, March 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Tisdale Middle & Secondary School Auditorium. Their co-chairs are Kelly Tanner and Katie Adair.
The exercise will be facilitated by Sharon Meyer, who has been leading the activity for various schools and community groups since 2011.
“I call it History 101 in three hours,” Meyer said.
She said the exercise helps to correct misconceptions and stereotypes of the politics involved in relation to the Indigenous peoples of North America from the day of contact to today.
“At the end of every Blanket Exercise I have a sharing circle and in the reflections many participants are shocked about how much they did not learn through school or life experiences about our shared history.”
To register for this event, email Heather Turcotte at [email protected].
“Reconciliation Tisdale invites you to come and join us,” said information from the group. “Everyone is welcomed to join in this national event that has been experienced by thousands and thousands of people across Canada.”
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise experienced tremendous growth in the last five years alone. Approximately 160,000 participants throughout Canada and over 5,300 workshops delivered and countless partnerships developed. The exercise celebrates 25 years of sharing the Canadian story from an Indigenous perspective with thousands of Canadians and newcomers participating in theses workshops.