BIGFOOT:AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE 🐵

Over the last fifty years, especially with the remarkable developments in technology, film and electronics, specifically, there have been thousands of sightings of a hairy creature, sometimes larger than life itself, reported by hundreds of spectators. Some of these reports are often in conflict with eyewitness and law enforcement accounts, but nonetheless seemed to be astonishingly connected to one fact: he is usually large and hairy, and most folks are terrified of him. What I also have found to be surprising is that the sightings, typically on the east coast, were not mentioned first. This was a bit puzzling to me in the infancy of my research considering the fact that the eastern coast of the United States amassed colonization first. It isn’t until after the expansion westward that we hear tales and legends of giant hairy creatures roaming in the woods. But, in Native American accounts and traditions, this creature is replete in the identity, in some specially chosen cases, of who the tribe is, his association with nature and his gods, and his will to survive in nature among men and beast. In other words, Bigfoot carries a commonality among practically all Indian tribes on the continent. I find this to be surprisingly extraordinary! What significance has this creature created? By all accounts, Bigfoot, as we know him, was not actually called this. There are many names for this creature, depending on the region and tribe you are referring to. Consider the following names:

“Chiye-Tanka” (Sioux Indian name for Bigfoot Meaning is uncertain.)

“Hairy Man” (Various Iroquois Indian Tribes and Yakuts Tribes; it may come to mean ‘Stone Giant’)

“Omah” (Hupa Indian name meaning Strong Man, perhaps.)

“Shampe” (Choctaw: It may mean Strong hairy man.)

“Ste ye hah” (Yakama Indian name: It may mean ‘men of the forest.’)

“Wendingo” (Algonquin: Cannibalistic water serpent who devours incessant sinners and      Indians who disrespect the forest. A special kind of Bigfoot sent by the Great Spirit.)

“Night Man” (Wenatchee: As the name implies, these creatures can only be seen at night; they are the protectors of Indian lands.)

“Geno’ segwa” (Seneca: It means stone giant.)

“She nah” (Okanogan (Washington state) This is a bit different from most commonalities of Bigfoot; according to this particulate tribe, she is an ‘Owl Woman.’)

“Keclah-Kudleh” (Cherokee name meaning Hairy Savage.)

“Misinghalikun” (Lenape/Delaware name that means ‘Man with a Mask.’)

“Esti Capcaki” (Seminole name that means ‘Tall Man.’)

“Iktomi” (Plains Indian name that may mean ‘Trickster.’)

These are just a SHORT LIST of the names for a creature known to the rest of the world as Bigfoot. But, what about the other not-so-well-known sightings of other creatures that are associated with this monster?

For instance, some of you, depending on your geographics, have heard of the Skunk Ape, Missouri Monster, Jersey Devil, Mothman, Lizard Man, etc. The list, as one can see, has gotten quite expansive, especially over the years and with the growth of Social Media, radio programs, podcasts and all other affiliations of networking. The real question remains, however, are these sightings real or is this just a continuation of past confrontations that transcend? Over the years I have read countless articles of sightings of all of these creatures; they seem to share one characteristic: it cannot be acceptably photographed, and it is tall, has red eyes, and no person seems to be armed to even shoot it. By all accounts, the creatures are elusive, mischievous, and a bit smarter than the person who has an encounter with one. However, the myth continues to grow, even with more fascination year after year. Specifically, in the Ohio Valley area, Bigfoot is often regarded as a Spiritual/Inter-Dimensional Being who is able to enter and leave our dimension as they please, and can choose who they wish to appear in front of, always for a reason; it is usually thought that a sighted appearance may suggest to mankind to me more cautious with the earth and to give thanks to the Great Spirit; it is by He alone who guides Bigfoot all over creation. The stories are always replete with fascination and holds a huge audience. There is one particular story that I find intriguing that seems to have been responsible for the geography and landscape of the entire Pacific Northwest, and its concern is Mount St. Helens. Mount St. Helens, it turns out, preserves the most mystical tale of Bigfoot.  Among the Klickitat Indians, Mount St. Helens was created out of punishment. One day the Great Spirit and his two sons, Pahto and Wy’east, were travelling down the Columbia River valley in search of land to settle. After some time, they located in an area where they were content. Then a problem arose between the two sons; they could not decide in which area to live and claim as his own. To settle the dispute, the Great Spirit shot an arrow from his mighty bow; one to the north and the other to the south. Pahto followed in pursuit of the north and Wr’east settled in the south; consequently, the Great Spirit (their father) built what is called the “Bridge of the Gods,” so that the family could periodically be reunited.

For a time, events were peaceful until the two sons met a gorgeous maiden named “Loowit.” Unable to choose between them as husbands, the sons fought for her loyalty; as a result, the earth shook with such violence that the Bridge of the Gods sank into the earth which formed the cascades of the Columbia River Gorge. Outrageously vexed by their actions, the Great Spirit took matters into his own hands and transformed the lovers into mountains. Wy’east is traditionally known as Mount Hood; Pahto is known as Mount Adams; and Loowit became Mount St. Helens. However, the legend does not end here. Among the Spokane (the town of Spokane, Washington is named after them, and is one the Holy Grail locations of Bigfoot sightings in the west) Indians, there are a race of cannibalistic wildmen called “skoocooms,” who reside at the top of the mountain; they are the defenders of the mountains and forests against those who wish to damage them. When the earth children disobey the laws, they cause the mountain to become angry, and a violent eruption ensues the area. To add more astute realism to this myth, the Spokane (even today) believe that the skoocooms refuse any communication with others except the Indians living in the region; like the God of Moses, this is where the Great Spirit (according to Spokane belief) chose this piece of land for his people to flourish.

However, the zenith piece of so-called evidence is the Patterson/Gimlin film shot in October of 1967 in northern California of an alleged female Bigfoot. Surprisingly, the film has never been debunked, nor has it ever been proven to be authentic. At any rate, it remains, even after fifty years, the most solid piece of evidence in existence. The controversy among Native American tribes does not exist and does not require anyone to submit proof; interestingly enough, in Anthropological theory, Bigfoot played a paramount claim, even among the various tribes who had no contact with one another. Their legends of a hairy man, stone giant, bushman, trickster, devil, or monster tell an astonishingly similar story by comparison. How can this be? Some Anthropologists have presented these collection of stories to be authentic, strongly rooted in oral tradition and can effectively support, with an open mind, the existence of such a creature. Among woodsman and survivalists, there is another favorable theory for proof: tree structures. Deep in the Canadian forests of British Columbia and Alberta, famous survivalist, Les Stroud, has examined these intricate structures and has confidently arrived that they could not have been created by any human, or even nature herself; the structures are primarily composed of enormously heavy downfallen trees and are arranged in such a way that it is impossible for these structures to have fallen in place as they have. Just how these sculptures of trunks were created and symmetrically arranged is unknown. Several experts have concluded that these creations are some means of communication or, perhaps, location points to food and water sources. 

In closing, there is a huge and diverse structure of belief and identity of Bigfoot among Native Americans, and there are literally thousands of accounts and sagas telling of how he has aided warriors in warfare, hunting expeditions, healing, medicine and even protection. On the other side, there are stories of terror, abduction of wives and children, violence, and even murder among abundance of tribes throughout the North American continent. In either of these cases, there simply is no need for any kind of physical or spiritual proof that such creatures walk and hide among humans. The continuing fascination and portrayal of this creature holds the seeker and cameraman at awe. The thousands of YouTube videos and websites are proof enough. 

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