Expand your understanding and awareness of historical and present day Indigenous peoples' lived experiences in Canada at the Kairos Blanket Exercise. The Blanket Exercise explores pre and post-colonial contact with Indigenous peoples, in this case, the peoples of the lands of Treaty 7, and the historical relationship between Indigenous nations and non-Indigenous nations. The blankets laid out on the floor represent land, and the exercise allows participants to gain experiential knowledge about, and awareness of colonial expropriation of territories and diminishment of Indigenous culture. This awareness fosters compassionate understanding about historical and present- day Indigenous peoples’ lived experiences of ongoing current injustices by colonial settlers and their descendants in Canada. Please feel welcome to bring friends and neighbours. 

Where: High River United Church
When: November 29th 9 am - Noon
Facilitators: Dion Simon & Dr. Pattie Ann Pryma
Register: Contact Holly at the office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 403-652-3168

Please bring a medium size blanket. Participants will be walking and getting up and down off the floor. If that is not possible for you, a chair will be provided. Please arrive by 8:45 to be ready to begin at 9:00 am. 

Dion Simon is from Cree Ermineskin Reserve located in Central Alberta. He is Medicine Trail Coordinator, Cultural Advisor and Facilitator of the Kairos Blanket Exercise at Mount Royal University.

Dr. Pattie Ann Pryma teaches nursing at Mount Royal College. She has had life-long relationships with Indigenous people in Saskatoon, and has a deep understanding of their past and current day lives. Pattie Ann is a member of the Meeting Place Ministry team at High River United Church, which learns about, explores and takes actions toward truth and reconciliation. Pattie Ann helps to steer the conversations and plans of the team as it furthers congregants' understanding and awareness of history, as well as of present-day life experience of Indigenous peoples.
  
Kairos is an organization of ten churches and religious organizations that work together and take action for ecological justice and human rights.