This week, Western Community College welcomed Indigenous knowledge keeper Dr. John W. Belhumeur to campus for two classroom sessions — Tuesday, July 7 and Thursday, July 9. Students spent the time immersed in teachings on the medicine wheel, balance, and the connection between land and self, delivered with the humour, warmth, and hard-won wisdom Dr. John is known for.
Teachings from the Medicine Wheel
Dr. John walked students through the four directions of the medicine wheel and what each represents: East, water and new beginnings; South, fire, growth, and vitality; West, earth, grounding, and reflection; North, air, wisdom, and clarity. Alongside the directions sit the four winds — mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional balance — the elements he says every person carries within them, regardless of culture or background.
“You are water, you’re fire, you’re earth, and yeah, you do have wisdom — all the elements are in you,” he told the class, tying the teaching back to something simple: when everything is out of balance, nothing else works well, whether that’s your health, your focus in school, or your relationships.
A Life Between Two Worlds
Dr. John shared his own journey to this knowledge — raised in a household split between Lutheran, United, and Catholic influences, with little exposure to his Indigenous heritage growing up. It was a school genealogy project that first connected him to his roots, tracing his family back to Louis Riel. That discovery set him on a path of learning from elders, attending sweat lodge ceremonies, and eventually founding and publishing the Native Journal, an award-winning national Indigenous newspaper that ran coast to coast.He spoke candidly about blending his Christian upbringing with Indigenous spirituality, finding — as he put it — real connections between the two rather than contradictions.
Balance, Routine, and Choosing Education
A recurring theme of both sessions was the importance of routine and balance, whether that’s meditation, exercise, or simply showing up consistently for your studies. Dr. John was direct with students about the value of the choice they’ve made to be at WCC: “You just magnify yourself out of everybody that’s out there.” His advice didn’t stop at graduation — he encouraged students to keep going, pursue further credentials, and stay open to where their education can take them.
Building Toward September
The visit also looked ahead. WCC will welcome a new cohort of Indigenous students this September, coming from communities including Peter Sulik and Lac La Ronge in Saskatchewan. Dr. John and program staff discussed how current students can help these incoming students settle into life in Surrey — for some, their first time in an elevator or a city with a Walmart — and floated the idea of a talking circle to help build that community.
Looking further ahead, Dr. John will help shape capstone project topics drawing on his experience, and WCC plans to have him back on campus on a regular basis.
A Cross-Cultural Conversation
One of the most memorable moments came from a student who had visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and recognized striking parallels between Dr. John’s teachings and the Indigenous communities there — from reading the weather in the trees to a shared reverence for the east and the rising sun. It was a fitting reminder of one of Dr. John’s central messages: that these teachings aren’t only for one culture. “Every culture I feel has an Indigenous aspect of that,” as one student put it.
Thank You, Dr. John
WCC presented Dr. John with a certificate of appreciation for his time and generosity. We’re grateful for the wisdom he shared this week and look forward to continuing this relationship as we prepare to welcome our incoming Indigenous students this fall.
Western Community College is committed to fostering meaningful connections with Indigenous communities and knowledge keepers as part of our broader commitment to student success and cultural understanding.
