During his years at Bible School, young Bill learned many other valuable lessons which were pondered, evaluated, and built into the foundation of his future ministry. “I was really enrolled in two schools,” Bill claims. “I was a student at Berean Bible Institute. I was also a very involved student in the School of Life Experience.” 

        Yet, Bill had to learn for himself how to respond to some cultural issues. As a Native believer, he understood the power of traditional spirituality and practices. 

        One summer, Frank Wilson wanted Bill to accompany him to a sun dance. The young Native convert was hesitant. The traditions of his own reserve for at least the past three generations had not included anything connected to the sun dance. 

        Like Frank, Bill had never personally observed sun dance ceremonies. Unlike Frank, who felt he might learn something useful by observing, Bill had doubts. However, yielding to the other man’s well-meaning coaxing, Bill went along to a sun dance being held at Beaver Lake, near Lac La Biche. Though there were some visitors, most of the people there were local. 

        In The Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, sun dance is defined as “the most famous of all the Indian festivals, an annual renewal rite, taking place in the summer and centred around the sun. There were many rituals in the sun dance, the most dramatic of which involved self-torture by warriors. The sun dance is typical of most Plains tribes.” 

        These sun dance ceremonies at Beaver Lake carried on for two or three days. Three or more drummers sat in a circle around a pole holding up a brush arbor, a canopy-like structure, built especially for the event. Many people marched around the area, but there were only a few who actually danced. In the sun dance, apart from brief periods of momentary rest, the dancers go on all day or until they fall from physical exhaustion. The dancers have a stick whistle. They keep in time with the drums by blowing their whistle. During the whole event, prayers are offered to the spirits. An offering in the form of some yardage of new cloth is put on the center pole. These flaglike items are added to others on the pole. They are supposed to have something to do with speaking to the spirits. In some cases, gifts are exchanged. When the dance is over, the arbor and its decorative offerings are left to weather away.

        “As far as I understand, the government outlawed the more injurious practices associated with the sun dance,” Bill added. “In the old days, people tell me, sun dance participants were tethered to the pole with the tethers passing through their chest muscles. Eventually, they entered a trance-like state in which they made strange verbal noises. Then they passed out.” 

        When Bill and Frank got to the site where the sun dance was taking place, they did not receive the usual warm welcome and hospitality. It seemed that some people there were surprised and a bit uncomfortable at their presence. The two men tried to find a place where they could observe without people thinking they were taking part in the ceremony. 

        Bill believes that there is evil power active in the world. Those who don’t have God as Lord in their lives are at risk. The evil one is always active. Years later, in his book, Scripture and Traditional Religion (1992) Bill asserts, “Followers of traditional religion communicate with spirits through ceremonial observances…” Looking back, Bill noted, “On two occasions in which I’ve been close to a sun dance, somebody emphatically claimed that the sun dance would bring rain. Both times, rain came right after the sun dance.” 

        During that first visit to the sun dance ceremonies with Frank, Bill found himself the center of attention when he stood at the arbor entrance, which faced south. He thought he heard someone say, “Don’t stand there.” Finally a man got up and came to him. He told Bill, “You have to move. Nobody stands there.” Evidently, Bill had offended some ceremonial rule. 

        “All in all, I did not find it was a good experience to be there,” Bill finally concluded. In ways like this, step by step, God was teaching him to walk in truth and to discern that which is in line with the Word of God and that which isn’t.