Native people and the Sasquatch
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by William Jevning (@bukwas01), 38 year veteran sasquatch investigator, and author of "Notes From the Field, Tracking North America's Sasquatch". Read more about Jevning at his Bigfoot blog, Bigfoot Researcher.There exists an extensive history of the Sasquatch in Native tribal stories handed down through the generations and in ceremonial artwork. I give a partial list of tribes and names in my current book "Notes From the Field, Tracking North America's Sasquatch" identifying approximately 90 tribal groups and twice that many names alone.
Nearly all tribal groups across the American continent have at least one, some as many as 5 names for these creatures and ceremonial masks and other artwork representing these creatures. The Sasquatch, often called the "Wildman of the woods" or "Cannibal Giant" are thought of as a much lesser developed tribe and not as animals. They have no permanent homes or language or use of tools. Below are some Native artwork depicting the Sasquatch.
I don't understand why this community embraces the native American peoples when it comes to Sasquatch as a real being living in our forests but rejects the same concerns and warnings they expressed how they abducted their children and women ?
ReplyDeleteI agree. The concept that the Native American people, across the country, consider Sasquatch as a cannibal that abducts and eats children is not a popular view today. I think it is a possible explanation why we don't find their dead bodies. Nobody seems to consider the potential horror of these things and instead likes to focus on them being noble and peaceful. Go read David Paulides book called Missing 411 and it will open your eyes.
DeleteIt's a possibility of course, cannibalism. They may eat their own, we have jungle peoples throughout history practicing the dirty deeds. It should be kept in mind, the times witnesses feel watched and stalked and maybe eyed as the next meal. Personally I doubt it, but it's unknown territory at this point and will stay so for years. Most people that feel watched make it home alright though, and we've hunted in the forests for centuries where nothing happened. Knowing this gruesome fate could await however, desperation may drive some Sasquatches dangerously close to our modern world like witnesses seeing a scared looking Sasquatch running in the busy road right by their car.
DeleteLet's not forget about other NA mythical creatures.
ReplyDeleteThe Thunderbird could shoot lightning from it's eyes, lightning I tell you.
The Deer Woman had hooves for feet.
Oh and then there's the Underwater Panther. Body of a cat, antlers of a Deer, Bird feathers and Reptile scales on it's body, with serpent like tails.
Yeah, these were all real creatures too.
Let's just focus on the one that we want so badly to exist and forget the rest.
Yeah but still.
DeletePoor little sad man. Someone was mean to you growing up. Our culture recognizes Santa Claus, the easter bunny etc. but we can seperate myth/fairytale from reality. No different with the Native Americans. They look upon the thunderbird, etc. as spirit like. The sasquatch is viewed as simply another living breathing animal like the bear or eagle.
DeleteI am assuming that you do not truly believe in santa claus but our culture has more pictures, movies, post cards, etc. of this mythical figure than the native americans ever thought of.
Please explain to me what the difference is here?
Why do the naysayers fail to see the obvious? Why do they feel supreme?
Why is everythig so "black and white" when it comes to everything around them, yet they give themselves a pass?
Nope, you're wrong there Sparky, you must fight the cognitive dissonance. The NAs believed anything that they deemed a living creature, was an actual living creature, not a santa clause type creature. Not only that, many tribes had forest people worked into their legends. All the different forest people had mystical magical powers of one kind or another. Bigfooters like to discard the shape shifting and other paranormal things that were included in the NA legends and turn it into a flesh and blood animal. You can't have your cake and eat it too, bless your heart.
DeleteThe difference is that the wild man of the woods stories are widespread across the tribes. They all have their own stories, but the wild man is the same. The thunder bird and under water panther and such are stories that are specific to certain tribes and their heritage and beliefs. When a character like the wild man is so wide spread, even across tribes having no contact with one another, there is a higher chance of it being based on something real.
DeleteNo, not at all the same, do the research, before you put your foot in your mouth...pun intended.
DeleteWait, Santa Clause isn't real??!! MAAA!!??
DeleteOften the Aboriginal aspect to Sasquatch is over simplified. Many First Nations had a complicated understanding of reality and a very different way of thinking that is not easy for us to understand. For example, belief in spirit world and physical world that are both equally "real." So to say Aboriginal peoples believe sasquatch is real is oversimplifing the matter.
DeleteI'm curious, are these stories from before the Patterson/Gimlin film? You know that movie caused all of the reports we have seen.
ReplyDeleteYes there are multiple stories, news paper accounts from the 1700's on up.
DeleteMost early descriptions would be as a 'wildman' or 'devil'. In later 1800's descriptions came across as 'gorilla'.
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The Patterson/Gimlin movie helped to make sasquatch a national topic. Prior, numerous newspaper articles were printed well over 100 years before the Patterson/Gimlin film yet each story had a different name for the creature. Read and research and you will find that the creatures being reported from as far back as the mapping out of America all describe the same thing with the same sounds, smells, etc. Only after P/G did researchers start putting together all the facts.
DeleteUntil recently, the world has not had the World Wide Web to learn about the news going on outside their area. Now, more and more reports are being made, but it is primarily because of our ability and ease of making the report.
Wow! My thoughts exactly.
DeleteLet's not forget about other NA mythical creatures.
ReplyDeleteThe Thunderbird could shoot lightning from it's eyes, lightning I tell you.
The Deer Woman had hooves for feet.
Oh and then there's the Underwater Panther. Body of a cat, antlers of a Deer, Bird feathers and Reptile scales on it's body, with serpent like tails.
Yeah, these were all real creatures too.
Let's just focus on the one that we want so badly to exist and forget the rest.
Here's another ignorant person (probably white)
That was a poor choice of words...
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That was a poor choice of words. Lets think before we drop racism into the conversation. Jeesh, talk about ignorant.
DeleteI'm not an expert on Native American cultures, but i still have an advice to you people; do some search on these cultures before making nonsense comments.
ReplyDelete"I'm curious, are these stories from before the Patterson/Gimlin film? You know that movie caused all of the reports we have seen."
ReplyDeleteMovie ??? It wasnt letters from the big man when he was Squatch-kid !!
This was released as a movie in movie theaters douche nozzle.
DeleteKathy Strain has a book dealing with just the NA lore and although I have not read been meaning too.
ReplyDeleteExactly what Sasquatch varies among Tribes, but they all have an opinion or story. That is significant.
As a winess, I appreciate many NA's distain for Euro-Americans and reluctance to share modern stories. Had I a Tribe to turn to, and snicker about the ignorance of those who have neither seen, nor believed witnesses, I wouldn't make this post.
Those masks look nothing like the typical bigfoot description. Not even close.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the masks that they wear of eagles or bears? Aside from a very vague resemblance, the same applies for those too.
DeleteI'd be willing to bet that all of those masks were made in the modern era.
DeleteYou are correct - except for the Totem (as in Totem culture), they, are all modern art. Now that said, let's remember a few events from early N.A. First, most Plains N.A.'s believed that buffalo simply were reincarnated and that they (buffalo) are a never ending source of food. They believed that of the beaver also. When for example, the buffalo could not be found in famine years, the N.A. thought they were in the underground lake. In another example, when Northeast N.A's could not find the moose due to hunting them into scarce resource, the N.A.'s thought the moose ran away, far away because they had insulted them. Crazy I know, but useful in placing correct context to beliefs, values and norms of the post paleo-indian. Obviously, at some point, neolithic peoples adopted these beliefs for(a very good reason)! What those reasons are because after all, the N.A. surly reasoned, are lost - almost. Time, effort and research (scientific) will reveal tons of info. All we can do is what we do... Keep on keeping on!The only absolute convincing pictorial worth in my opinion, of BF value, are the Tule Indian glyphs - east of Fresno in the Sierra. Other than those, not much makes me go "hey, that's a BF!" Of course, I have had other nagging 'proof(s)'... I hear their screams, I see their branch markings and hear the chatter... Other than that, I don't know *&4^...
DeleteTaking NA stories as just being a farce is the reason why most people in this community will never learn anything and how ignorant they really are.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Most white city dwellers think they know it all and if something wasn't on the news, it doesn't matter to them. LOL Native Americans would place superpowers on many a living thing in the past, it became the master of this and the master of that but there would always be a real living creature behind it. Same with Sasquatch, only this species or tribe of giant men is so effectively different from anything else it's found yet by us.
DeleteNormally honkys think that they know everything and have been everwhere but the electric chair and seen everything but the wind. That is why most of the fools on this site who immediately discredit all evidence claim to be so smart and everyone else is so dumb. They are crackers. They own it all and have seen it all. (In their simple minded opinion.)
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right. If they would just stop for a second and ignore reality, it would become so clear to them.
DeleteWhat is this 'honkys' and 'crackers' that you speak of?
DeleteI like crackers and soup or mixed in with a meat loaf.
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It's honkies not honkys...sheesh don't you even have smellcheck.
ReplyDeleteOh dear it seems that an article with a good prospect for respectful debate and conversation on a wonderful subject is quickly going down the toilet. How sad.
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DeleteHere is the real 100% truth of the matter. Native Tribes provided accurate descriptions of Sasquatch. They are dangerous and might very well be canibals.
ReplyDeleteThis must be white washed today because it would scare people and keep them out of the woods. Look at it this way- in Africa they have lions, Gorilla's, Hippos, elephants ect. None of these creatures could be killed by using small arms and require extremely large guns.
The same holds true for Sasquatch and because of their intelligence they really are the most dangerous creature on the planet. The closest thing on this Continent is a Grizzly which leaves people alone 99% of the time.
Nobody wants to acknowledge that the most dangerous animal is a Sasquatch and they pose a real threat to weaker people who venture close to their domain.
If you say it's the real 100% truth, it must then be so. Enough of this though, lets go play Avatar, OK? You be Mo'at and I'll be Eytukan. C'mon, it'll be fun, just like Bigfoot, only different.
DeleteOur anonymous friend there is wrong, Sasquatches are not animals. Can they be dangerous? Of course, they're big enough to tear your head off, but in most sightings nothing much of anything other than the sighting happens. They simply don't want any trouble with us.
DeleteI come here for the warm comments and the feeling of mutual support and community.
ReplyDeleteLOL this is the place!
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