Finding A Medicine Tree

Finding A Medicine Tree

Written by Rosemary Popadynec in collaboration with the Yukon Department of Education

Photographs by Rosemary Popadynec, Mayo Photograph on page 2 by Maggie Leary, Mayo

Special thanks to Mrs. Betty Lucas an Elder, First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, and the Grade One and Two students

of J.V. Clark School, Mayo, Yukon.

Printed in Whitehorse, Yukon

ISBN: 1-55362-336-3

Beaufort Sea

Mayo

NorthernTutchone

ALASKA

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Whitehorse

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n this book, you will meet:

Grandma Betty Taiya

2

The boys and girls in Mayo have been studying many different kinds of plants.

They want to learn more about the plants and trees you can use as medicine.

They decide to call Grandma Betty and ask her to help them.

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“Hello, Grandma Betty. This is Asia. We are going on a plant walk at school today. Can you come and help us learn about the plants?”

“Yes, Asia, would be glad to come.” says Grandma Betty. “Thank you for asking me. ’ll see you this afternoon.”

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Grandma Betty likes to visit the school.

She likes to help the children learn traditional ways of using plants and trees for medicine.

Today she is going to help them find some of these plants and trees.

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Before the class leaves to go on a walk, Taiya says, “Grandma, don’t feel very well. My throat hurts.”

Grandma Betty says, “Don’t worry Taiya, you can lay down and rest for a while. We will bring you back some medicine for your sore throat.”

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Taiya lays down. She feels sick. Her throat is sore.

Someone will stay with her until the class comes back.

Taiya says, “ wish had some medicine right now. hope Grandma Betty comes back soon. wonder what she will bring me?”

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t is a warm and sunny day. The class walks down the trail.

Grandma Betty tells them to look for a spruce tree.

t has rough bark and needles and no leaves.

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“Here are some spruce trees,” shouts Alison. Then she says, “Now what should we do?”

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Grandma Betty says, “We need to look for a spruce tree with sap or pitch on the bark. We call that spruce gum.”

“Look here! This is a good tree,” she says. “The spruce gum must be hard, not soft and sticky. n the Northern Tutchone language it is called ts’ok dzí.”

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Grandma Betty asks the children to join hands and make a circle.

She says, “We should pray before we take the medicine from the tree.”

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“We give thanks to the Creator for this medicine. That is how we show our respect for all the things that we take from nature.”

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Grandma Betty wants the hard pieces of spruce gum for Taiya’s medicine.

She explains, “Spruce gum is good medicine for sore throats. You chew it just like gum and swallow the juice.

We will take some back for Taiya to help her get well.”

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Grandma Betty uses a sharp knife to cut off the ts’ok dzí.

She gives some to the children to chew.

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The boys and girls chew the spruce gum.

“ t tastes bitter,” they say.

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When they get back to school, Grandma Betty shows Taiya the spruce gum.

“This will help your sore throat,” says Grandma. “Just chew a piece and swallow the juice. You will see that ts’ok dzí is good medicine.”

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“ ’ll try this piece,” says Taiya. She puts the spruce gum in her mouth. She chews and chews.

“ t tastes bitter and it sticks to my teeth,” she complains.

“Never mind,” says Grandma Betty. “Just keep on chewing.”

Everyone in the class hopes that Taiya will feel better soon.

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Taiya chews the spruce gum until it turns pink. Her throat starts to feel better.

She goes over to thank Grandma Betty and says, “Mussi cho, Grandma, feel better already. My throat is not so sore. Spruce gum really is good medicine.”

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All the children love it when Grandma Betty comes to school. They like to learn traditional ways of using plants and trees. They are glad she helped them find a medicine tree.

They all give her a big hug.

“Thank you, Grandma Betty. Mussi cho.”

SPRUCE GUM

Spruce gum forms on black or white spruce trees when the bark cracks. The gum, sometimes called pitch, is the hard reddish or amber tree sap which can be picked at any time of the year using a sharp stick or a knife.

As the gum is chewed it turns pink and produces a juice which is swallowed to treat a sore throat. Sometimes it is also just chewed by children for enjoyment.

When boiled, spruce gum tea is also used to treat colds.

The sticky gum can be used as a salve on cuts or to help remove slivers. It was also used as a glue to waterproof a canoe.

Other parts of the spruce tree, such as the cones, the inner bark and the young spruce tips, may be used for medicine as well.

In Northern Tutchone ts’ok means spruce tree, and dzí means gum. Ts’ok dzí means spruce gum in the Mayo dialect. It is pronounced with an o, as in book, and a nearly silent k. The d is silent and the i is pronounced as a long e, rising in tone.

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NorthWind BooksNorthWind Books Working Group Members:

Pearl Keenan C.M., Elder, Teslin Tlingit Council Rosemary Popadynec, Teacher, J. V. Clark School

Patti Tetlichi, Reading Recovery™ Teacher, Chief Zzeh Gittlit School Fran Etzel, Teacher/Vice-Principal, Ross River School

Diana Knopp, Teacher, Elijah Smith Elementary School Aileen McCorkell, Reading Level Advisor

Editing and Production Jeanette McCrie, Co-ordinator of Primary Programs, Curriculum

Sharon Shadow, Cultural Inclusion Consultant, First Nation Programs and Partnerships

Layout and Design Dianne Villesèche, Raven Ink

Text, photos and logo copyright ©2007 by the Yukon Department of Education, Public Schools Branch.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system.

Level 15/16 — Running Words: 612

Education