In honour of Truth and Reconciliation Day, our class participated in the Blanket Exercise, led by our teacher for EDUC 394 Dr. Daniel Sims. I was glad that he was kind enough to lead this exercise for us because he has a lot of knowledge surrounding Indigenous peoples and their history. I also think it is important to have Indigenous representation when leading this exercise, so it was very meaningful to have him lead this for our class. This was the first time I participated in the blanket exercise, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I knew it would be heavy and would cause some emotion to arise.
I am Métis, so being of Indigenous ancestry made it that more impactful and emotional for me. My great grandma went to residential school and although I never got to meet her, I know how it impacted her through stories that were passed down through family members. It is hard to understand and even comprehend that my family has been impacted by residential school and most likely have experienced some form of intergenerational trauma. I had a conversation with my dad about our identity and we both admitted to each other that we used to be hesitant to tell people we identified as Métis. Like there was some sort of shame surrounding it. I guess that was the goal of colonization and it is sad to think about.
This was an uncomfortable and eye-opening exercise. I think this could be considered an unsettling act and many people would benefit and learn from doing this exercise.
Doing this exercise also allowed me to reflect on the importance of incorporating Indigenous content, worldviews, and culture into School District 57. Having the FPPL embedded into each lesson I think is so important not only for our Indigenous students but for all students so we can contribute to the process of reconciliation.