Kelsey Rogers Kennedy
Cook County Higher Education
Grand Marais, MN – (1/5/2024): An interactive learning experience about Indigenous history and the laws, policies, and programs used during US nation-building is coming to Cook County. The Cook County Welcoming Communities Inclusion cohort is organizing this community event open to all.
The event will take place on Saturday, January 27th from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Cook County Higher Education in Grand Marais. It will include the learning experience, shared discussion, and a meal. Food at the event will be provided by MamaBears Kitchen, which is run by Colleen and Bruce Waltz of Grand Portage. Registration is required, and childcare may be provided upon request. There is no fee to participate.
“The Blanket Exercise is a powerful way to learn alongside your neighbors about the shared history of people and the land we all live on”, said Sarah Waddle, Welcoming Communities cohort participant, “We participated in this exercise as a cohort and learned so much from it that we wanted to share it with the wider community.”
The facilitators for this event will be visiting from the Duluth/Fond du Lac area. They bring years of experience sharing this workshop in the region. The Blanket Exercise was originally developed in Canada by an organization called Kairos, which calls it “a unique participatory history lesson that fosters truth, understanding and respect”. The version presented in Grand Marais has been adapted from the original to center Native American, United States, and Minnesota history. Participants will have the opportunity to form a common historical memory and begin the conversation about how we can build intercultural bridges together. Residents interested in attending can learn more and register for the event on the Cook County Higher Education website at mycche.org under the Events tab.
