The Blanket Exercise

Join Vance Blackfox, an Indigenous theologian and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, for this “powerful experiential learning tool that guides a group of participants through 500+ years of Indigenous history, highlighting the relationship between Tribal nations and the European explorers, colonial settlers, and U.S. federal and state governments.” 

Vance is the Director of Ecumenical and Tribal Relations of the Indigenous Theological Circle. Previously, Vance served as the churchwide organization of the ELCA as the Director of Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations. Vance is the founder and director of Other+Wise, the cultural education and immersion program that our CTS youth partnered with in 2025 and 2020.

Invite friends and community members to join us for this experience. Adults, college and high school students are welcome to participate in this activity. Any donations that you make will go to the CTS Justice and Equity Fund to sponsor future events and experiences like this one. 

More About “The Blanket Exercise”

The Blanket Exercise is a powerful experiential learning tool that guides a group of participants through 500+ years of Indigenous history, highlighting the relationship between Tribal nations and the European explorers, colonial settlers, and U.S. federal and state governments.

The exercise is interactive and requires participants, as they are able, to stand and move throughout the first hour of the experience. The second hour allows participants to process the experience and share what they may have learned and what they will take away.

The Blanket Exercise was first created in Canada and has since been adapted and used to educate the general public there, in the United States, and in many other parts of the world. The exercise does engage participants both intellectually and emotionally and can, in some instances, affect individuals deeply.