On Oct. 18, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, Sunchild Law, and the Allen Sapp & Chapel Gallery hosted a Blanket Exercise in North Battleford.

“It was amazing,” said Saskatchewan Treaty Commissioner, Mary Culbertson, of the event turnout. About 50 people attended the exercise, including Order of Canada recipients.

The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a workshop that explores the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Blankets arranged on the floor represent land and participants are invited to step into the roles of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples.

According to the KAIROS website, “The workshop helps people to understand how the colonization of this land impacts those who were here long before settlers arrived. It engages people’s minds and hearts in understanding why the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is often broken and how we can take action together.”

The exercise was facilitated by Iris Acoose and YTC RSHW Support Team.