WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:01.600 Today, I want to tell you about a journey that 2 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:03.879 I've been on for most of my life. Ever since 3 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.799 I was a kid, I've heard tales of bigfoot and 4 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:08.320 wild men while spending time with my friends and family. 5 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.439 As I grew older and read more about the paranormal, 6 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.679 my interest in encryptids and other things strange only deepened. 7 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:17.160 That's why I'm so excited to share with you what 8 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:21.640 I've personally become involved with the Untold Radio Network. The 9 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:25.280 Untold Radio Network is a live streaming podcast network that 10 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:29.359 airs a new show every day across all podcast platforms, YouTube, 11 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.119 and more. They have eight different shows on all sorts 12 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.119 of exciting topics such as bigfoot, cryptids, UFOs, aliens, and 13 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.479 much more. I even have my own show called Weird Encounters, 14 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.439 where I talk about all things strange. This is more 15 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.280 than just a podcast network. It's a community that allows 16 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:47.759 me to meet so many amazing people who share their 17 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:51.520 stories and experiences with strange. If you're interested in hearing 18 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.880 more of these stories and learning more about the paranormal 19 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:56.679 and encryptids, make sure you check out the Untold Radio 20 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.600 Network for all kinds of exciting shows. It's free to subscribe. 21 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.400 So what are you waiting for visit www dot untold 22 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:06.560 radionetwork dot com today. 23 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:09.680 Now, what are your reporting? I got a screen going 24 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.120 on here. Something just kid with my dog, something to 25 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:15.280 kill your dog? My dog. We're flying through there, over 26 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:20.079 the tree. I don't know how it did it? Okay, Damn, 27 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:22.640 I'm really confused. All I saw was my dog coming 28 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:24.480 over the fence, and they would dead once you hit 29 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:26.560 the grill. I didn't see any cars. All I saw 30 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:28.000 was my dog coming over the fence. 31 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:44.680 Happen? 32 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:48.000 What are you reporting? We got some wonder or something 33 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:58.640 crawling around out here? Did you see what it was? 34 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:01.040 It was enough out here. Look, I'm new to one 35 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:02.799 doow now and I don't need anything. I don't want 36 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:12.199 to go outside. Hello, hit the boddy out here? What quin? 37 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:15.159 I'm out there? I thought of a venus about text nine? 38 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:17.759 I don't know. Easy ann ount there. Yeah, I'm walking 39 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:18.280 right heady. 40 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:23.240 Before we begin today's exploration of Sasquatch in Native American history, 41 00:02:23.639 --> 00:02:26.879 I want to share something personal with you. Many of us, 42 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:30.360 myself included, have seen these creatures with our own eyes. 43 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:34.680 We know that they exist. This isn't just belief or speculation. 44 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:40.400 It's based on direct experience. Now I understand skepticism. In fact, 45 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:43.680 I remain deeply skeptical of many pieces of evidence and 46 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:48.719 even some eyewitness accounts. I question blurry photos, analyze track 47 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:52.960 casts critically, and approach every new Bigfoot video with healthy doubt. 48 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:56.199 That kind of critical thinking is essential in this field. 49 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:00.280 But there's something I found impossible to ignore, and that's 50 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:03.599 the overwhelming number of references to these beings across Native 51 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.840 American and First Nations cultures who had no way of 52 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:11.479 communicating with one another. From the Pacific Northwest to the Everglades, 53 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:14.919 from the Eastern Woodlands to the high deserts of the Southwest, 54 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:20.560 Indigenous peoples described remarkably similar entities with consistent physical features 55 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:25.159 and behaviors. This reality directly contradicts skeptics who claim there 56 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:29.599 is no historical basis for sasquatch in indigenous traditions, that 57 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:32.879 these beings were essentially invented in the mid twentieth century 58 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:37.759 and retroactively inserted into Native American lore. Nothing could be 59 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:41.800 further from the truth. It begs a fundamental question. Can 60 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.120 all of these accounts across hundreds of distinct cultural groups 61 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:50.360 with different languages, belief systems, and geographic locations just be stories, 62 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:53.960 or should we apply our critical thinking skills and consider 63 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:57.599 the possibility that these traditions contain more fact than fiction. 64 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:02.759 As you listen particular attention to the detailed descriptions preserved 65 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:11.800 across tribal traditions, height, hair covering, distinctive foot morphology, wood knocking, communications, whistling, vocalizations, 66 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:16.680 and that characteristic odor. What's remarkable is how consistently these 67 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:20.680 details align with contemporary accounts from people with no knowledge 68 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:24.920 of these indigenous traditions. When a modern hiker in Washington 69 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.240 State describes hearing the same pattern of wood knocks that 70 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:32.480 the Yakama people documented generations ago, or when a contemporary 71 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:36.680 tracker in northern California finds footprints showing the same mid 72 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:41.759 tarsal flexibility described in traditional Urrok knowledge, we're witnessing connections 73 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:46.600 that span centuries. This isn't about blindly accepting every claim. 74 00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:51.399 It's about recognizing and respecting the depth, breadth, and continuity 75 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:55.879 of indigenous knowledge that has been too often dismissed, appropriated, 76 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:00.120 or simply ignored. It's about acknowledging that Native Americans and 77 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:04.000 First Nations peoples have been documenting these observations for thousands 78 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:08.759 of years before European contact, observations that continue to be 79 00:05:08.839 --> 00:05:12.240 reported by people just like you and me today. So 80 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.160 as we journey through this narrative together, I invite you 81 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.800 to consider the evidence with both an open mind and 82 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:22.240 critical judgment. What you're about to hear might challenge some assumptions, 83 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:25.360 but it represents one of the most enduring and consistent 84 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:30.120 bodies of traditional knowledge on this continent. The indigenous history 85 00:05:30.120 --> 00:05:33.639 of the beings we now call sasquatch, beings that many 86 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:37.839 of us know without a doubt are real. Long before 87 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.759 the name Bigfoot entered the American lexicon in the late 88 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:45.000 nineteen fifties, long before grainy footage captured a large, hair 89 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:49.360 covered figure striding along Bluff Creek in northern California, the 90 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:53.199 indigenous peoples of North America shared stories of tall, powerful 91 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:56.480 beings who dwelled in the shadows of forests, mountains, and 92 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:00.480 remote valleys. These beings went by hundreds of different names 93 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.759 in different languages, reflected diverse attributes depending on the tribe 94 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:08.680 and region, and occupied various positions in the complex spiritual 95 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:12.600 and cultural frameworks of Native American peoples across the continent. 96 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:15.920 This is not a simple story with a clear beginning 97 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:20.279 and end. Rather, it is a rich tapestry of tribal knowledge, 98 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:25.519 oral traditions, spiritual beliefs, and lived experiences spanning thousands of 99 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:29.759 years and hundreds of distinct cultures. The narrative of what 100 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:34.560 we now collectively call sasquatch or bigfoot in contemporary culture 101 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:38.839 is in reality many interconnected narratives that reflect the deep 102 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:43.560 relationship between indigenous peoples and the landscapes they inhabited. In 103 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.040 exploring this history, we must approach with respect and humility, 104 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.720 acknowledging that these traditions are not mere folklore or campfire tales, 105 00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:56.959 but vital components of living cultural heritage. Many tribes consider 106 00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:59.839 their knowledge of these beings to be sacred, and while 107 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:04.120 some information has been shared with outside researchers and anthropologists, 108 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:09.560 much remains protected within tribal communities. The earliest known traditions 109 00:07:09.560 --> 00:07:13.279 of wild hairy humanoids in North America emerge from oral 110 00:07:13.399 --> 00:07:17.240 histories that, by their nature, are difficult to date precisely. 111 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:21.920 Anthropologists estimate some of these traditions may extend back thousands 112 00:07:21.959 --> 00:07:27.240 of years, preserved through generations of careful storytelling and ceremonial recounting. 113 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.279 The Yoku's people of California's Central Valley have traditions of 114 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:35.639 a being called hairy man or chutia that predate European 115 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:40.160 contact by centuries. Their stories describe these beings as having 116 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:44.600 existed since the beginning, suggesting an ancient recognition of these 117 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:49.680 creatures presence on the landscape. Similarly, the coast Salish peoples 118 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:53.439 of the Pacific Northwest describe their encounters with Sasquatch like 119 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:59.040 beings known as Sesquak, Seatko, or various other names depending 120 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:03.480 on the specific langthanguage, as extending back to time immemorial. 121 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:08.199 What striking about these early traditions is their consistency across 122 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:12.560 geographic regions and linguistic families that had limited contact with 123 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:16.759 one another, From the Algonquian speaking tribes of the northeast 124 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:19.639 to the nod in A languages of the Sabardic, from 125 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:22.839 the Salish languages of the northwest coast to the uto 126 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:27.680 Aztecan languages of the southwest. Descriptions of large, hairy humanoid 127 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:32.240 forest dwellers appear with remarkable similarity in basic physical characteristics, 128 00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:36.840 despite significant cultural variations in how these beings were understood 129 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:41.679 pre contact. Descriptions of these beings across numerous tribes share 130 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:47.200 several consistent elements, though with regional variations. The Lakota spoke 131 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:51.360 of chia Tanka great elder Brother as standing taller than 132 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:55.519 a man, covered in hair with a strong smell. The 133 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:59.440 Hoopa of northern California described o Ma, a boss of 134 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:02.759 the woods, as having a similar stature, but with distinctive 135 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:07.759 backward facing feet. The Iroquois Confederation tribes shared stories of 136 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:13.039 stone giants Gano's Giguaya, who, while sometimes described as wearing 137 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:17.320 armor of stone, shared many physical characteristics with sasquatch like 138 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:21.799 beings described by other tribes. The Tilamouk of Oregon told 139 00:09:21.799 --> 00:09:25.480 of multiple types of forest beings, including the fearsome ki 140 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:29.240 mana wild man who would carry off women and children. 141 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.360 The Klamath and Modoc peoples of the southern Oregon northern 142 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:37.799 California region described a being called lumtock Maks, the one 143 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.720 who whistles, as extremely tall with a covering of black hair, 144 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:45.519 known for its distinctive whistling call used to communicate with 145 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:49.759 others of its kind. Several common physical traits emerge across 146 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:54.600 these early descriptions. Most traditions describe beings that stand considerably 147 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:58.919 taller than humans, often seven to ten feet tall. They 148 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:02.200 are almost universal described as covered in hair or fur, 149 00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:06.759 typically dark in color, though some traditions, particularly in the Arctic, 150 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:11.080 describe white haired variants. They are frequently mentioned as having 151 00:10:11.080 --> 00:10:14.799 a distinctive, powerful smell, often compared to wet animal fur, 152 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:20.279 rotten vegetables, or skunk. Despite variations, most traditions describe a 153 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:24.240 being with a fundamentally humanoid appearance, walking upright on two 154 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:28.480 legs with hands capable of tool use. They are invariably 155 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:32.840 described as possessing strength far exceeding that of humans. While 156 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:38.759 physical descriptions show remarkable consistency across tribal boundaries, the cultural significance, 157 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:43.200 spiritual status, and relationship with humans attributed to these beings 158 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:48.039 varied significantly between tribal groups. For some tribes, particularly in 159 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:51.639 the Pacific Northwest, these beings were considered a separate race 160 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:56.039 of people who shared the landscape with humans. The Quakiutl 161 00:10:56.360 --> 00:11:01.840 Quaquacka walk of British Columbia incorporated beings called Bukwus wild 162 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:05.200 man of the woods into their complex clan structure and 163 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:09.440 potlatch traditions, viewing them as transformed humans who had become 164 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:14.600 lost in the spiritual realm. The Thompson Indians Lakapomas of 165 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:18.600 the interior Pacific Northwest viewed the beings they called skocomic 166 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:25.000 as powerful medicine beings who possessed supernatural abilities, including shape shifting, invisibility, 167 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:28.120 and the power to paralyze humans with fear or drive 168 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.679 them mad. Thompson elders taught that these beings should be 169 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.120 respected rather than feared, and could serve as spirit helpers 170 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.320 to particularly gifted Shamans. Among many California tribes, including the 171 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:45.360 karuk Hoopa Valley tribe and Urak stories described Oma or 172 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:49.600 similar beings as more animal like and potentially dangerous, though 173 00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:54.799 still possessing intelligence and supernatural qualities. These tribes often had 174 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:59.720 specific taboos and protective practices regarding these creatures, including avoiding 175 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:04.679 certain areas of the forest, particularly at night. The Algonquins 176 00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:08.440 speaking peoples of the Northeast, including the mick Mac, Panobscot, 177 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:13.080 and Abenaki, spoke of the wendigo, a malevolent entity sometimes 178 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.960 described with physical characteristics similar to other sasquatch traditions, but 179 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:21.960 with a fearsome spiritual dimension as a spirit of greed, hunger, 180 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:25.840 and winter. The Wendigo tradition represents one of the more 181 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:29.879 negative portrayals, though scholars debate whether the Wendigo and more 182 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:34.519 neutral sasquatch like beings represent the same or distinct traditional 183 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:40.840 entities among the Iroquois confederacy. How Denisauni stone giants Geno's 184 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:45.360 Kiawa were fearsome enemies in some stories, but became allies 185 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:49.480 of humans and others. The complex relationship portrayed in these 186 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:52.720 traditions reveals an understanding of these beings as having their 187 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:57.200 own agency and moral complexity, capable of both harm and 188 00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:01.759 help depending on circumstances and how they were treated by humans. 189 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:06.720 Pre contact traditions frequently embedded detailed ecological knowledge about these beings, 190 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:12.759 information that contemporary biologists might classify as behavioral ecology or 191 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:18.440 natural history. These details appear across tribal traditions with remarkable consistency, 192 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:23.200 almost universally. They are described as dwelling in remote, mountainous 193 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:28.559 or densely forested areas, often near water sources. Many traditions, 194 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:32.679 particularly in regions with harsh winters, describe seasonal migrations between 195 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:37.240 lowland and highland areas following food availability. They are commonly 196 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:40.720 described as being more active at night, with daytime sightings 197 00:13:40.759 --> 00:13:45.519 considered rare, usually portrayed as omnivorous, eating a combination of 198 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:50.519 plant foods, berries, roots, tree cambium, and animal foods fish, 199 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:54.679 small game, though rarely described as hunters of large game, 200 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:58.519 often described as living in small family groups rather than 201 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:03.360 large communities, with some traditions mentioning male female pairs and offspring. 202 00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:10.200 Numerous traditions mentioned complex communication systems, including whistles, howls, knocking sounds, 203 00:14:10.679 --> 00:14:14.279 often by striking trees or rocks, and in some cases 204 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:19.399 forms of language. Several traditions described these beings using simple tools, 205 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:23.360 particularly wooden clubs or sticks, and having the ability to 206 00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:27.399 move large stones or logs. The Yakama nation of the 207 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:31.559 Columbia Plateau region had particularly detailed traditions regarding the beings. 208 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:35.799 They called stick Indians, a non pejorative term referring to 209 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:40.799 their forest dwelling nature. Yakima elders described specific food plants. 210 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:44.759 These beings, favored, their techniques for catching salmon, and their 211 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.759 careful avoidance of human settlements, except during times of extreme 212 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:54.279 hunger or curiosity about human activities. Yakima traditions also detailed 213 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:57.759 how these beings would sometimes leave gifts of freshly killed 214 00:14:57.799 --> 00:15:00.200 game near the camps of hunters who had shown them 215 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:05.159 respect by leaving offerings of tobacco, and stay tuned for 216 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.480 more sasquatch Ottesee will be right back after these messages. 217 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:16.720 The Lummy people of coastal Washington had similarly detailed ecological 218 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:20.559 knowledge of the beings they called t semech ways, describing 219 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:23.799 how they would construct temporary brush sheelters in remote valleys, 220 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:27.559 their preference for certain berry patches which human gatherers would 221 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:31.639 deliberately avoid harvesting completely, and their habit of pushing over 222 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:36.799 small trees as territorial markers. For many tribes, stories about 223 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:42.360 Sasquatch like beings served important pedagogical functions beyond simply acknowledging 224 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:48.240 their existence. These narratives often embedded practical knowledge, moral lessons, 225 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:51.440 and tribal values that helped prepare young people for life 226 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.840 in their environments. The Salish peoples of the inland Northwest 227 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:59.440 used Seat coast stories to teach children about dangerous areas 228 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:03.559 in their terrors, proper behavior when traveling alone in the forest, 229 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:08.159 and the importance of maintaining ceremonial cleanliness to avoid attracting 230 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:12.480 unwonted attention from spiritual beings. Among the tilling It of 231 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:17.639 southeast Alaska, stories of Kushtaka land otter man, sometimes described 232 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:21.240 with sasquatch like attributes, warned of the dangers of hunting 233 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:25.320 alone and the importance of proper preparation before journeying into 234 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:29.399 remote areas. The Monomony of the Great Lakes region told 235 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.759 stories of the large, hairy beings they called manaby walk 236 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:37.320 to illustrate proper and improper behavior toward the natural world. 237 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:40.840 In these narratives, those who showed respect toward the forest 238 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:44.039 and its inhabitants might receive protection or gifts from the 239 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.480 manabye walk, while those who were wasteful, greedy, or disrespectful 240 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:53.879 might face frightening encounters or even disappearance. For many California tribes, 241 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:57.720 including the Miewalk and Yucuts, stories of their respective wild 242 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:02.200 men served as lessons about balance and humility. These traditions 243 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:05.119 often portrayed the beings as ancient dwellers of the land 244 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:09.599 who existed before humans and possessed knowledge of plants, animals 245 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:12.920 and landscape features that humans would do well to respect 246 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:17.119 rather than dominate. The densely forested mountains and valleys of 247 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:21.720 the Pacific Northwest, stretching from northern California, through Oregon, Washington, 248 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:26.839 British Columbia, and into southeast Alaska, contained the highest concentration 249 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:30.720 and most elaborate traditions of Sasquatch like beings in North America. 250 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:35.599 This region, not coincidentally, also accounts for the highest number 251 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:41.000 of contemporary Bigfoot reports among the Coast Salish peoples, including 252 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:46.680 the Squamish, musquaem Secualt and related groups. The traditions of Saskets, 253 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:51.640 from which the anglicized Sasquatch derives, were particularly well developed. 254 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:56.000 Coast Salish traditions often described these beings as a race 255 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:59.240 of hairy giants who lived in parallel to human communities 256 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:04.720 but avoided contact. They were believed to possess supernatural abilities, 257 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:09.279 including hypnosis, telepathy, and the power to induce memory loss 258 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:13.519 in humans who encountered them. The Quaquaka Walk formerly known 259 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:17.319 as quak Utel of northern Vancouver Island and adjacent mainland 260 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:20.559 incorporated wild men and women of the woods into their 261 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:25.880 complex ceremonial system. Figures such as Baquas and Dessonoqua appeared 262 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:29.920 in potlatch ceremonies, masked dances, and his figures carved on 263 00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:33.880 totem poles and house posts. These beings were understood as 264 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:36.960 transformed humans who had become lost in the spirit world 265 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.079 and now existed in a liminal state between human and 266 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:44.519 supernatural realms. The Nisga people of the Nas River region 267 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:47.680 in British Columbia speak of Bukwas, who lives near rivers 268 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:51.799 and carries a large staff. According to tradition, this being 269 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:55.680 has glowing eyes that can hypnotize humans, explaining why few 270 00:18:55.720 --> 00:18:59.720 people who see him can clearly recall the encounter. Among 271 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:05.039 interior Salish groups like the Thompson, O'connigan and Shuswap, traditions 272 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:09.079 of stick Indians or bush men Skocomic in Laka Pamluck's 273 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:12.839 language describe beings who live deep in the forest and mountains. 274 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:17.359 These traditions often emphasized the elusiveness of these beings and 275 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:20.799 their ability to mimic human and animal sounds to confuse 276 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:25.359 hunters or lure the unwary away from camp. Unique among 277 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:29.039 Pacific Northwest traditions are those of the Simshian people of 278 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:32.440 the northern British Columbia coast, who tell of both harry 279 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:36.680 giants similar to other Sasquatch traditions, and a distinct category 280 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:40.720 of being called bax Bakuwala Nuxiwi man eater at the 281 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:44.680 north end of the world. This fearsome entity, while sharing 282 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:48.799 some physical characteristics with sasquatch, was described as a cannibal 283 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:52.119 spirit with a gaping mouth who ate humans who violated 284 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:55.839 taboos or wandered too far from the protection of their community. 285 00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:00.880 The indigenous peoples of California, representing numerous langsguage families and 286 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:05.039 cultural traditions, maintained some of the most explicit traditions of 287 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:09.880 sasquatch like beings in North America. The Karuk, Koopa and 288 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:14.920 Uruk tribes of northwestern California shared traditions of Oma, variously 289 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:18.839 translated as boss of the woods or wild man. These 290 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:22.359 traditions described beings of great size and strength who inhabited 291 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:26.720 the remote ranges of the Klamath Mountains. Urak elders explained 292 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:30.880 that Omah were known to occasionally kidnap humans, particularly women, 293 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:35.599 presumably for breeding purposes, a motif that appears in Sasquatch 294 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:40.559 traditions across multiple regions. The Modoc and Klamath peoples of 295 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:45.160 the California Oregon border region told of Lumtok mocks, known 296 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:49.960 for its distinctive whistling sounds. In Modoc tradition, these beings 297 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:52.279 were said to live in the lava beds and caves 298 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:56.359 of what is now Lava Beds National Monument, emerging primarily 299 00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:59.920 at night to hunt and gather food. Among the Yokits 300 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:03.680 of central California, traditions of the hairy man Chu Taia 301 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.920 included specific locations known to be inhabited by these beings. 302 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:12.400 Certain valleys, caves, and remote canyons were deliberately avoided, with 303 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:16.119 tribal elders warning that trespassing in these areas could result 304 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:20.519 in frightening encounters or bad luck. Interestingly, some of these 305 00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:25.680 traditional Chutia territories remain hot spots for contemporary bigfoot sidings. 306 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.759 The Miewok people of the western Sierra Nevada Foothills told 307 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:34.359 of Uyami hairy forest beings who possessed powerful medicine and 308 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:38.240 could cause illness in those who offended them. Meewok traditions 309 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.319 emphasized that these beings should be treated with respect rather 310 00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:44.680 than fear, and offerings of tobacco or food should be 311 00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:49.000 left when entering their territory for hunting or gathering. While 312 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:53.200 less numerous than in heavily forested regions, traditions of Sasquatch 313 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:57.640 like beings also appear among indigenous peoples of the American Southwest. 314 00:21:58.519 --> 00:22:02.720 The Apache and Navajo DNA peoples share traditions of beings 315 00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:09.039 they call Yaidso Navajo or chie Tanka Apache. These were 316 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.920 described as tall, hairy beings who lived in the higher 317 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:16.279 elevations of mountain ranges in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. 318 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:21.079 According to Navajo tradition, these beings were dangerous and associated 319 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:25.400 with witchcraft, while Apache traditions portrayed them as generally neutral 320 00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:30.599 toward humans unless provoked. Among the Hopi of Arizona, traditions 321 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:34.200 speak of various categories of spiritual beings, some of which 322 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:39.640 share characteristics with Sasquatch traditions. The Poco tocoala dog man 323 00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:42.880 was described as a dangerous hairy being that lived in 324 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:48.480 remote canyons. However, Hope scholars have cautioned against simplistic equations 325 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:52.839 between Poco Tacala, and Bigfoot as the hope. Conceptualization of 326 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:57.759 these entities emphasizes their spiritual rather than physical nature. The 327 00:22:57.799 --> 00:23:00.960 Pueblo peoples of the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico 328 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:04.640 maintained traditions of mountain dwelling beings who were considered ancient 329 00:23:04.920 --> 00:23:08.799 and possessed of great wisdom regarding plant medicines and weather patterns. 330 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:13.599 These traditions described beings who might reveal themselves to individuals 331 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:18.200 of exceptional spiritual preparation, but would remain invisible to most humans. 332 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:23.039 The indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, while inhabiting environments 333 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:26.039 with less forest cover than regions to the east and west, 334 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:31.680 nevertheless maintained traditions of sasquatch like beings, particularly in riverine 335 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:34.960 forests and the foothills of mountain ranges at the plain's edges. 336 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:39.559 Among the Lakota Sioux, traditions speak of chia Tanka Great 337 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:43.119 Elder Brother, described as a tall, hairy being who lived 338 00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:47.440 primarily in the Black Hills and other mountainous regions. Lakota 339 00:23:47.480 --> 00:23:51.880 medicine man Pete catches Oglala explained in interviews during the 340 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:56.400 nineteen seventies that Chiatanka were considered sacred beings who served 341 00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:01.279 as messengers between the physical and spiritual realms. According to Catches, 342 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:04.680 these beings would sometimes serve as spirit helpers to medicine 343 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:09.160 people of exceptional power and purity. The Cheyenne spoke of 344 00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:13.680 Maximista hairy man, describing him as a solitary being who 345 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:18.240 avoided human contact, but occasionally left footprints around encampments as 346 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:23.039 a way of monitoring human activities without direct interaction. Cheyenne 347 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:27.279 traditions emphasized that Maximista was not hostile toward humans, but 348 00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:31.519 preferred to remain separate from human society. Among the Kiowa, 349 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.920 traditions of hairy giants who dwelt in the mountains included 350 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:39.640 stories of these beings occasionally taking human captives. Kiowa elder 351 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:42.599 Billy Evans Horse shared in the nineteen eighties that his 352 00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:45.799 grandfather had warned him about places in the Wichita Mountains 353 00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:48.920 where one should not camp alone due to the presence 354 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.480 of these beings. The Osage people of what is now 355 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:57.880 Oklahoma and Missouri maintained traditions of shrewd Napiashka forest people, 356 00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:01.519 describing them as nocturnal being who lived along the fringes 357 00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:05.920 of Osage territory, and sometimes served as guardians against enemy raids, 358 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:10.240 as they would vocalize loudly when detecting strangers entering their domain. 359 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:14.240 The forests of eastern North America, from the Great Lakes 360 00:25:14.279 --> 00:25:16.880 to the Gulf Coast and from the Mississippi River to 361 00:25:16.920 --> 00:25:21.279 the Atlantic Ocean hosted numerous indigenous cultures with traditions of 362 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:27.240 sasquatch like beings. Among the Iroquois Confederacy, Hawdenasaani of the northeast, 363 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:32.720 traditions of Geno's Guawah stone giants share many characteristics with 364 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:37.000 Sasquatch descriptions, though with the distinctive feature of stone like 365 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:41.720 or armored skin. The Seneca in particular maintained detailed traditions 366 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.200 of these beings, describing them as ancient enemies of humans, 367 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:49.200 who later established an uneasy truce with some stone giants, 368 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:53.839 eventually joining human communities. The Algonquian speaking peoples of New 369 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:57.359 England and the Maritime Provinces shared traditions of several forest 370 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:02.920 dwelling entities that share aspects of sasasquatch descriptions. The Panobscot 371 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:06.680 and Abenaki spoke of Kiwak, a giant, hairy being of 372 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:11.680 the deep forest. The Mickmack mick Mak traditions include Googo, 373 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:15.240 a female giant said to capture humans in a large sack. 374 00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:20.720 The controversial Wendigo tradition, found primarily among Algonquian peoples of 375 00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:24.920 the northern forests, including a Jibwe, Cree and related groups, 376 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:30.359 describes a malevolent entity associated with winter starvation and cannibalism. 377 00:26:31.160 --> 00:26:36.039 While some aspects of wendigo descriptions great height, unusual strength, 378 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:41.559 and forest dwelling parallel Sasquatch traditions, the wendigo is distinctly 379 00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:45.960 characterized by its gaunt appearance and association with spiritual corruption, 380 00:26:46.440 --> 00:26:50.960 rather than the robust, hair covered appearance typically ascribed to Sasquatch. 381 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:55.079 Among the Cherokee of the Southern Appalachians, traditions speak of 382 00:26:55.160 --> 00:27:00.519 nun Yinui stone man, and Ketsla Kudlah harry savage beings 383 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:06.519 who inhabited remote mountain areas. Cherokee traditions, particularly those regarding Keklakudla, 384 00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:12.039 closely parallel other Sasquatch descriptions, depicting a large, hairy humanoid 385 00:27:12.279 --> 00:27:16.039 that avoided human settlements but might occasionally interact with hunters 386 00:27:16.079 --> 00:27:20.200 or medicine people in the deep forest. The Seminole and 387 00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:25.039 Mikosuki peoples of Florida maintain traditions of Stili swamp ape, 388 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:29.559 a hairy being that inhabited the Everglades and remote swamp forests. 389 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:34.279 These traditions describe a creature smaller than many Sasquatch descriptions 390 00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:37.960 from other regions, but sharing the characteristic hair covering and 391 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:42.240 powerful build The indigenous peoples of the far North also 392 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:47.319 maintain traditions of large, hairy humanoids, though with adaptations reflecting 393 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.839 the unique environmental conditions of their homelands. Among the dean 394 00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:56.599 Athabaskan peoples of Alaska and northwestern Canada, traditions speak of 395 00:27:56.680 --> 00:28:02.160 Nikani or Nantina bush man, described as tall, powerful beings 396 00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:05.400 covered in hair who lived in the boreal forests and mountains. 397 00:28:06.279 --> 00:28:09.599 Dnate traditions often emphasize the ability of these beings to 398 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:12.880 move silently despite their size, and to survive in the 399 00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:17.240 harshest winter conditions. The tling It people of coastal Alaska 400 00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:22.559 maintain traditions of several forest dwelling beings, including Kushtaka, usually 401 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:26.920