First off, I think I will start with my understanding of citizenship before watching the Westheimer video. I think citizenship is being a contributing member of the society within a nation. Doing one’s ‘job’ to help the group, is almost the idea of conforming or being an outcast in some sense. Where the state or government creates citizens through the school system, law-abiding and ‘good’ citizens that teach you to fall in line, and follow society’s unwritten rules and codes. That’s my understanding of a good citizen and citizenship.

I took away a few points while listening to Westheimer’s video, from how anybody can be a good citizen, the ideas of schools past, present, and future, and standardization. I found it interesting when Westheimer discussed the responsibility of teaching controversial topics in the classroom when asked about teachers instilling values and character or if that should be up to the parents. I never thought of this idea, but agree with him, as I believe in showing the evidence and allowing the students to think and feel what they want to believe. Not forcing a particular belief on them, and ultimately understanding and learning about how part of citizenship means to understand adults can differ on important social concerns but stressing the importance of finding a way to work together and move forward together.

Cappello’s podcast was an interesting listen, as I found it difficult to follow at times. I heard the passion he felt towards treaty education of the past and how it needs to change towards the future in the education system. My biggest takeaway from his podcast was near the end of the listen when he discussed an Indigenous people’s future, not just their past of colonialization and genocide. The example he gave, speaking about if a Ukrainian person was hypothetically banned from practicing their culture here in Canada, they would still have a place to practice their culture somewhere else. But if you said the same for Indigenous peoples, they wouldn’t have anywhere to practice, because this is their home. The fact that this was their home and still is their home, and how to change the colonial ways of society today to work towards a more Indigenous home.

I think this ties into citizenship because we as citizens have been ‘groomed’ through government, society, curriculum, and beliefs to think and act a particular way. If all these things changed and we included more of an Indigenous approach and belief, creating ethical citizenship like Cappello mentioned, investing in the revitalization of indigenous ways (of being, language, governance, etc.) the idea of citizenship and what the goal or belief of citizenship would change.