Morden residents experienced Canadian history from the perspective of First Nations.

The Blanket Exercise is an interactive telling of the shared history of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. First, blankets are arranged on the floor to represent Canada before the arrival of Europeans. Participants, representing Indigenous peoples, are joined by others representing the European newcomers before hearing an interactive recounting of centuries of Canadian history.

The event took place in Morden Thursday together with local organizers and Elders from Swan Lake First Nation.

Facilitator Courtney Yeo says it was powerful to hear from an elder and see the positive steps people are taking to move forward and bridge the gaps, "that up until now have been very severed."

She notes while the weight of the hardships discussed are heavy subjects, the experience is also one of hope, "we can do things, in our own communities... to take steps to build those relationships. There was a really positive feeling by the end of it all."

Yeo was also encouraged by the wide cross section of residents who attended in Thursday's event."We had a bunch of different people that showed they were willing to learn."

In the future, Yeo says they would love to expand the blanket exercise to more cultures.