Moving Beyond a One-Time Exercise

 Moving Beyond a One-Time Exercise

The Kairos Blanket Exercise is an eye-opening way to educate people about Indigenous history and the ongoing impacts of colonization. But it can’t be just a one-time event. It has to be part of a bigger shift in how we address racism, discrimination, and power structures in our communities.

What Can We Do?

1. Education & Awareness

Businesses with 10+ employees should make Indigenous cultural competency training mandatory. Not just a single workshop, but ongoing education on history, systemic racism, and reconciliation.

Schools need stronger anti-racism education that explores caste systems, discrimination, and power dynamics—especially in diverse cities like Vancouver.

Employers should be required to provide unconscious bias training for managers to ensure hiring is fair and inclusive for all Canadians, not just one group.

2. Stronger Labour & Business Policies

Enforce employment equity in small businesses. If a company is hiring only within its own community, there should be an audit to ensure fair hiring practices.

Increase labour inspections to prevent worker exploitation. The same abuses that happened with farm labour decades ago—low pay, poor conditions—are still happening today.

Provide language and cultural integration programs for newcomers so they actually understand and respect the country they are joining.

3. Community-Led Action

Support local Indigenous businesses and encourage businesses to partner with First Nations communities.

Strengthen neighbourhood watch groups that include diverse community voices—not just to report crime but to build understanding and support victims of violence.

Fund and support community dialogues between different cultural groups to break down harmful stereotypes and prejudices.

4. Personal Accountability

When we see something wrong—speak up. If someone is being mistreated at work, in public, or through unfair business practices, call it out.

Question authority—always. Whether it’s a teacher, a boss, a politician, or a cop, we need to stop blindly following orders when those orders harm people.

Reflect on our own biases. We all have them. It’s not about shame but about recognizing them and working to grow beyond them.

The Hard Truth

Canada is becoming more divided, and we can’t afford to stay silent. We need real conversations, policy changes, and personal action—not just slogans and empty gestures.

If people don’t start questioning who holds power and who gets left behind, then history will just keep repeating itself.