When Ken died in February 2021, we had an outpouring of messages from readers, with many telling us how much his columns meant to them. In light of that, we thought we would go back through our files and re-publish some of his columns. Ken would be flattered by the kind words readers expressed. We miss him as a friend and as a storyteller.

Do you see that tree?” the elder asked as he pointed to a white poplar.

I looked at the tree and wondered what he was talking about.

“It may look like just a tree to you,” he added, “but to me, it’s a source of medicine.”

For almost a decade I’ve had a serious intestinal illness. It’s only been in these last couple of years that I have seen better days. For this, I can thank today’s modern approach to battling serious illnesses and traditional First Nation medicines that have been used for thousands of years.

My illness is a result of a past lifestyle that spiralled out of control — I basically burned out my vital organs. The only thing that kept on working was my heart.

In fact, one specialist said, “in spite of everything falling apart, your heart is going strong.”

I was then warned that before long, even my heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

A few times, I thought the doctors might be right, especially the time I lost almost 100 pounds and my body started to eat my muscles.

I had so many surgeries I lost count. Throughout it all I kept hope, mostly inspired by family, friends, and my then-partner Jacqui.

The Creator must have plans for me because I slowly started to recover. Today, I have an entire medical team looking after me at every step.

I was able to get that kind of medical support because they recognized I was not going to give up and I was going to do this without prescribed painkillers, even though there were times when I cried from the agonizing pain.

I stopped the painkillers while I was in the hospital after I saw people who had similar illnesses taking so much pain medication they eventually died. I thought I would take a different approach and stop taking the painkillers.

It took a long time, but the pain eventually subsided. One morning, I woke up and felt no pain. I thought it would last for a day or so, but I kept having painless sleeps.

While I was on the road to recovery I decided I would explore traditional First Nations’ approaches to illnesses. This is where I met the man who told me about the tree.

He also told me how and when to take water from a tree. This is the time of the year to start the preparation. I asked him if I could share what he taught me with others and he gave me his permission.

The first thing a person has to do is wait for the tree to blossom.

When the leaves are full, the tree is most potent. The tree must be approached with respect and an offering of tobacco. Then, a prayer and an explanation for why the water is being taken from the tree is needed.

A person will need a small drill, a straw, and an ice cream bucket. A hole is drilled upward into the tree about four inches deep. Then the straw is inserted into the hole and the ice-bucket hung under the straw.

Basically, it’s the same as taking maple syrup from a maple tree. After a few hours, there should be enough water in the bucket to start the preparation. The water should be strained before drinking.

It might look clear at first, but it’s not. I started off by freezing my prepared water and I would drink it later glass by glass. Then I started making tea, making sure I didn’t boil it because that would take out the nutrients.

Since I was still having a hard time taking solid food, I started to make broths and soups, once again not boiling the water, and instead preparing the ingredients separately. Before people start tapping every poplar, let me say there is no science to this. It’s from stories being handed down. For some, it’s just water from a different tap.

Spring is the time Mother Earth starts to flourish with medicine. All around us, there are plants, flowers and trees that could bring health and well-being.

A tree is not always a thing of majestic beauty or something from which to harvest. Today, when I see a white poplar in full bloom, I see something that gave me life.

• Ken Noskye