Alaska Blanket Exercise
Alaska Blanket Exercise
akblanketexercise@anthc.org
The Alaska Blanket Exercise is a participatory history lesson adapted from a best practice used by Indigenous people in Canada. Developed in collaboration with Alaska Native Elders, knowledge keepers, educators, and culture bearers, the Alaska Blanket Exercise fosters truth, understanding, respect and reconciliation among Indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.
Our vision is for people in Alaska to understand the past and live in thriving, connected communities by building collaborative relationships, teaching truth through storytelling, and promoting healing.
There are many ways to be involved in the Alaska Blanket Exercise (ABE) including: participating in person, virtually, becoming an ABE facilitator or hosting an ABE for your organization. Please see upcoming events below.
Alaska Blanket Exercise (ABE) Upcoming Calendar:
| Date | Topic | Location | Registration |
| 2/6/25 | Alaska Blanket Exercise | Anchorage | Click here to register. |
For inquiries about hosting an exercise or other opportunities, please see the fee announcement and complete the related interest form. The types of programs available are in the table below:
Programs of The Alaska Blanket Exercise
- Alaska Blanket Exercise: The Alaska Blanket Exercise (ABE) is an experiential learning activity where participants step onto blankets representative of the land and into the roles of Alaska Native People through significant historical and present-day events. The ABE takes 2-3 hours and includes a history lesson and talking circle.
- Virtual Alaska Blanket Exercise: The Virtual Alaska Blanket Exercise (vABE) is an online collaborative experience where participants step into the roles of Alaska Native People as a community of learners. Participants engage with each other, historical images, and first-hand accounts of events that have shaped Alaska today. The vABE takes 2-3 hours and includes a history lesson and talking circle.
- Youth Alaska Blanket Exercise: The Youth Alaska Blanket Exercise (yABE) is an adaptation of the ABE focused on high school aged youth. This workshop takes place across two days in two three-hour sessions. The yABE workshop components include mindfulness, grounding exercises, site-based emotional support, and opportunities for youth leadership skill development.
- ABE Learning Community: The ABE Learning Community is a virtual, bi-monthly gathering to hear from Indigenous Scholars and Elders on culturally relevant topics. These are for anyone who has an interest in or who has participated in the ABE and would like to stay connected and engaged with the program.
- ABE Healing Community: The ABE Healing Community is a virtual gathering to continue the dialogue surrounding historical trauma and what it means to heal from trauma. The ABE Healing Community utilizes various strategies and methodologies to support ABE attendees as they continue to process complex emotions. The ABE Healing Community is not a clinical intervention.
ABE Learning Community’s Session Recordings
- Click here to view past session recordings in a Box Folder.
Supplemental Resources
Additional Online Resources
Alaska Native History
- ABE Resource List
- Project Jukebox – Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program
- World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous People
- Anchorage Activities and Museums
- Alaska Native Heritage Center
- Fighting to Teach Alaska Native History
- Alaska Native Knowledge Network
- Calricaraq: Indigenous Yup’ik Wellbeing
- Alaska Federation of Natives
- Jane Haigh History of Alaska
Historical Trauma
Evaluation of the Program
Funding for these activities was made possible in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant: 5 NU38OT000277-02-00). The views expressed in written materials, or publications, or by speakers do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.