Living the Medicine Wheel Teachings

     Cynthia Wesley- Esquimaux

Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux served as Vice Provost for Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University for three years. Effective September 2016 she was appointed the 1^st Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada for Lakehead University and continues to develop pathways forward to reconciliation across Canada.

Cynthia was inducted as a “Honourary Witness” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2014 and is Chair of the Governing Circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.

She is a member and resident of the Chippewa of Georgina Island First Nation in Ontario and has dedicated her life to building bridges of understanding. She sees endless merit in bringing people from diverse cultures, ages, and backgrounds together to engage in practical dialogue and applied research initiatives.

Living the Medicine Wheel Teachings

The medicine wheel teaches us there are four quadrants that require our dedicated attention - the "Physical quadrant" which encompasses everything we are from conception to elderhood.  The "Mental or learning quadrant" where we gather knowledge, courage, and confidence about our world. The "Emotional quadrant" where we embrace the concept of "all my relations" as a foundation for our lives and build capacity to love unconditionally. The "Spiritual quadrant" where we are reminded of the need "to be good ancestors" and guide next generations with a good heart as we walk the 7 values (grandfather/grandmother teachings) into the future.

This event is part of the Spring 2023 Speaker series.