Blog #6
Previously, I viewed citizenship as the fulfillment of legal duties. If I am paying my taxes, obeying laws, and using my right to vote, that makes me a good citizen… right? I did not realize that my views of citizenship were extremely superficial until I listened to Joel Westheimer’s speech, What Kind of Citizen. Westheimer brings in the idea that “democracy is not a spectator sport but a participant sport,” (2015). Thus, arguing that personally responsible citizenship is not enough. Instead, we should look to justice-oriented citizenship as a goal (Cappello, 2018). Critical thinking and critical engagement are crucial tools needed to become a justice-oriented citizen. Instead of taking government rule as fact – policies, societal frameworks, new regulations – civilians should be asking questions, voicing beliefs, and actively pursuing change.
By being a Canadian citizen one is automatically a Treaty citizen (Cappello, 2018). We are all Treaty people. As previously addressed, to be a justice-oriented citizen one must actively pursue change. Just as being Canadian brings certain responsibilities, being a Treaty person has its own rights and responsibilities as well. For example, The Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 Calls to Action were not put in place as a recommendation, but as a requirement for everyone – Indigenous or non-Indigenous – to act towards change. Overall, Canadian/Treaty citizens must grow in understanding and relationship with our Indigenous peoples before they can embark on the pathway toward justice-oriented citizenship (Cappello, 2018).
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4 Comments
Jessica Young
Hi Emma, I really enjoyed reading your blog this week! I also held previous beliefs about citizenship being the act of fulfilling duties that the government deems as “acts of a good citizen”. I resonated with your quote stating that “democracy is not a spectator sport but a participant sport” as I had never really thought about how important our roles as citizens are in our society’s ability to function. As you stated, when we are given the title of a Canadian citizen, we should also see ourselves as Treaty Canadian citizens. If we want our nation to achieve equality and obtain a justice-oriented worldview, we need to embark on the path of reconciliation, understand our history, and recognize that we are all Treaty people.
Anna Van Winkoop
Hi Emma,
I shared a lot of the same views as you with my initial understanding of citizenship. Through watching the video and listening to the podcast this week, I realized how important it is to be actively involved in one’s own community. It is crucial to pursue change and stand up for what you believe in.
I love how you brought up the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 Calls to Action as a way to support how all Canadians are treaty people. As a treaty person, it is vital that we follow these calls to action to enact change around us.
Tyler Carlson
I feel the same about recognizing how Non-Indigenous and Indigenous individuals can work towards a similar goal in understanding the value of the Truth and Reconciliation Committees 94 Calls to action. I recall in a class in which we previously discussed the TRC document, there is a shortened version of this information that is provided to students inside classrooms across the province. I do wonder however, who selected which specific content would be included and what would be left out in the creation of this curriculum content.
hek948
Hey Emma!! Reading your blog post really solidified this weeks course concepts for me. I loved all of the citations you used and how how included the sources in your post. Adding onto Mike Capellos points about understanding and respecting Indigenous peoples before we can achieve justice-oriented citizenship that you mentioned, it really made me think when he asked “What if we took spirit and the intent of treaties seriously?”. Because of how neglected Indigenous values were as the societal standards of citizenship were formed, a “good citizen” has became synonymous with a politically correct, “woke” person who knows to acknowledge the land and respect the cultures around them. Ethical/treaty citizenship means to truly respect the people and the living environment around you. Thank you for your thoughts, I really enjoyed reading and reflecting!