Exploring Religious Questions

Aerial view of Gustavus Adolphus College

Monday Oct 19, 2026

07:00 pm ~ 09:00 pm

Heritage Banquet Room

Audience

Public

Overview

The Blanket Exercise, originally created by KAIROS in collaboration with Indigenous communities in Canada, is an interactive learning experience that raises awareness of the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the United States. Based on real-life experiences, the Blanket Exercise is designed to increase knowledge about the laws, policies, and programs used during nation building by having participants literally walk through U.S. history. Narration is provided while role assignments are designated for each participant. Blankets on the floor represent land taken, reassigned, or designated for Indigenous Peoples and settlers. Participants are provided with the opportunity to form a common historical memory and begin a conversation about how we can build intercultural bridges together. Accommodation for all participants’ abilities will be provided. The session concludes with a time for debriefing and discussion.

Speakers:

Rev. Amy Odgren: Lutheran pastor and Bishop Emeritus of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), who has been highly engaged locally and with ELCA’s national office on relationships with and reparations for Indigenous Peoples.
Deacon Colleen Bernu: A recognized descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and an ELCA Minister of Word and Service, who has directed ministries of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod devoted to strengthening relationships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Rev. Dr. Matthew Cobb: An Episcopal priest who has devoted much of his ministry to cross-cultural relationship building; a former staff member of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod ELCA; and the host of Broken Lands, a podcast exploring treaty violations, reparations, and possibilities for reconciliation between Native and settler communities. He is also joined by his spouse, Erica Olson-Cobb, who has been a longtime partner in this work.

This event is one in a series of four lectures on "Beyond Land Acknowledgments: Toward Relationship, Healing, and Justice."

ABOUT THE SERIES

While a growing number of institutions now acknowledge that they are located on Indigenous lands, an acknowledgment is only a beginning. How might we move beyond words toward deeper understanding, authentic relationships, and a commitment to healing and justice?

This four-part series explores how church-related organizations, colleges, and universities in Minnesota are seeking to address this question. Speakers will share how their institutions are working to deepen their understanding of the histories, cultures, and ongoing experiences of Indigenous Peoples while also examining their own institutional histories, practices, and relationships with Indigenous communities today.

Participants will learn about efforts to move beyond land acknowledgments, what institutions are learning through this work, and what challenges they continue to encounter. Whether you are new to these conversations or have been engaged in them for years, the series offers opportunities to listen, learn, and consider how to become more engaged—here or abroad—in policies, practices, and relationships that respect, honor, and advance justice for Indigenous Peoples.

DATES: October 12, 19, and 26 and November 2

TIME: 7–9 p.m.

PLACE: Jackson Campus Center at Gustavus Adolphus College (Heritage Room, Three Crowns Room)

Join us for one or all four sessions!

These lectures are open to the public and co-hosted by the Office of the Chaplains and Professor Marcia J. Bunge. For more information about all four lectures or to register for the entire series, please contact Jodi Maas, Assistant Director of the Office of the Chaplains at Gustavus. Phone: 507-933-7001. Email: church-relations [at] gustavus.edu (church-relations[at]gustavus[dot]edu).