ESTEVAN — St. Giles Anglican Church in Estevan will mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30 by hosting a Kairos Blanket Exercise at St. Paul's United Church's gymnasium. The event will start at 2 p.m.
The Venerable Wilma Woods with St. Giles described the blanket exercise as an experiential learning event that works through a timeline of Indigenous and settler relationships during Canada's history. While St. Giles is organizing the event, Woods emphasized this is not religious in nature and the community is welcome to attend.
"The blankets … are used as part of the exercise. There are other things used as well," said Woods. "While white people can lead it, it's definitely not the way that it should be done, and so we're really fortunate to have Indigenous people … to lead it."
There is a dialogue associated with the blanket exercise, but Woods said she didn't want to disclose too much, because everybody's experience is going to be unique. It can be a very emotional experience. Woods has attended one before and she is looking forward to attending another.
She said elders from the Yorkton Tribal Council will be coming for the blanket exercise. Rev. Alex Campbell, who is the Qu'Appelle Diocese's Indigenous ministries leader, will be here.
Woods said she has Indigenous relatives and she grew up in a predominantly Indigenous small town in B.C. Truth and Reconciliation has been a topic of interest to her for a long time.
St. Giles is hosting this event because she said the church has a lot to answer for when it comes to its relationships with Indigenous people.
"The work of reconciliation is ongoing, and it's one of the ways that we can actually put our money and our time and our space and our lives where our mouth is," she said. "We have apologized. We've paid money, but it's ongoing for them and it needs to be ongoing for us."
She thought she knew a lot, but she realizes there is so much more to learn.
"You're bound to learn something, even if you have that background," said Woods.
St. Paul's was selected to host the event because St. Giles needed more space and the church hopes to have a lot of people in attendance.
Food will be served once the blanket exercise is complete.
Kairos Canada is a joint-venture ecumenical program administered by the United Church of Canada.
