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More than 25 school council members from several schools in Sylvan Lake gathered recently to participate in a Blanket Exercise, facilitated by Carolynne Muncer, Indigenous Coordinator for Chinook’s Edge School Division and knowledge keeper Clare Butterfly. The March 27 gathering was the first time multiple school councils gathered for this purpose.
A Blanket Exercise is an interactive experience that allows participants to learn about the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Blankets represent land. The purpose of the exercise is to build understanding of the shared history between the two groups, the impact of colonization, and the ongoing need for reconciliation. Learn more about the Kairos Blanket Exercise, here.
A key organizer of the event was Courtney Morgan-Armstrong, who is an Educational Assistant at Ecole H.J. Cody School, and school council Chair for C.P. Blakely School. Morgan-Armstrong says “I am a strong advocate for bringing the community together and sharing our knowledge.”
She says, “My hope was that the Blanket Exercise would create knowledgeable conversations at home with families and with parents' daily interactions.”
“Every time we can work together to build an increased understanding of Indigenous history in Canada, it helps in the work of Truth and Reconciliation,” says Carolynne Muncer. “We are serious about walking together with our Indigenous partners on this journey and within our schools, and we very much appreciate parents who are willing to join us in this important work.”
Morgan-Armstrong says, “Your mind walks away from this event with reflection not only with compassion but with hope for a more inclusive and equal future for every child in Canada, and a heart that learns to foster empathy and respect for those affected by others' historical actions and the generational outcome from those actions.”
“We as parents and positive adult role models need to know it's no longer about the reconciliation but about the action piece that we need to start taking and how we can take small steps to create the outcomes from our actions whether they are individual or as a team,” Morgan-Armstrong says.
Morgan-Armstrong and Muncer hoped for 20 participants for the Blanket Exercise in March and were thrilled with the turn out.
Anne Frey, C.P. Blakely Principal, says, “Thank you to Courtney for working with Carolynne and Clare to make the evening so good. It was wonderful to see so many parents and community members wanting to learn and grow in their knowledge and understanding about Indigenous culture and history.”
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