Things to Know
.If you are out
in the woods and come upon a Bigfoot, do not be afraid. Look the creature
directly in the eye, and like a spark of lightening, a jolt of energy will jump
between you and the beast; and you will acquire all the secrets of nature..
.
. . . . . . . . Karok Indian tribe of Northern California
Signs:
Based on eyewitness
accounts, the following is a list of things to look for in the woods that might
indicate the presence or passage of a Bigfoot.
> The woods are noticeably
quiet. No sound of birds or other wildlife creatures. Eerily quiet.
>
Large, human-like footprints
> The overwhelming feeling of being watched.
Or a feeling of dread or intense fear.
> If you bring along your dog, he
shows signs of fear, refuses to travel any further, runs to hide, whimpers, or
acts totally out of character.
> Something unseen seems to be pacing your
movements.
> Loud crashing sounds through the woods.
> Trees or
limbs with signs of being broken at seven feet up or higher
> Rocks
apparently being tossed and falling into your area.
> The sound of rocks
being rapped together, or the sound of wood knocking (trees or logs being rapped
with a large branch).
> Stacked rocks/boulders on or along side a trail;
rocks on top of tree stumps.
> Fallen trees blocking a path or
trail.
> A bed of forest material (grass, twigs, leaves) that appears to
be a resting place for a large animal.
> A large pile of scat (dropping)
that appears human-like but is both tooChapter 6
Things to
Know
> If you are out in the woods and come upon
a Bigfoot, do not be afraid. Look the creature directly in the eye, and like a
spark of lightening, a jolt of energy will jump between you and the beast; and
you will acquire all the secrets of nature... Karok Indian tribe of Northern
California
> Loud shrieks, howls, whoops, generally
in the dark, that you do not recognize as coming from a known animal. Also,
unusual whistling.
> An unusual and unpleasant odor/smell
(sometimes described as that of a wet dog that has rolled in something). (Fully
discussed in the next section.)Odor:
Astrong and sometimes overwhelming
unpleasant odor is occasionally associated with a Bigfoot encounter or its
possible presence. What is the odor?
Why do they smell so badly? Most of the
following information is edited from a paper written by Dr. Henner Fahrenbach.
He notes an observation of mountain gorillas as recorded by anthropologist Dian
Fossey. She describes male gorillas as producing an .Overpowering, gagging fear
odor. either when fleeing from enemies, or when in confrontational encounters
with other male gorillas. At eighty feet, the smell is very intense, and may be
coincidentally accompanied by a discharge of diarrheic stool.
The origin of
the odor seems to be in the axillary gland, a mass of apocrine sweat glands many
layers deep in the armpit. Noted in the autopsy of a male gorilla, one gland was
reported to be smelling and the other not, an indication of neural control over
the discharge. (The gorilla had been shot, presumably on one side).
As
humans, we may find ourselves exposed to intense odors such as those of a horse
or cow without much of a reaction. However, we tend to be very offended by
primate aromas such as the smell of the ape house at the zoo, or the smell of a
Sasquatch.
There are repeated reports of people experiencing an overwhelming
feeling of being watched; being overcome by fear, and abruptly leaving a
campsite, forest or other area, to head for their cars or homes. This immediate
emotional response may conceivably be due to a hormonal component of Sasquatch
sweat that is being perceived at an unconscious level.Names:
The following
are some of the names by which bigfoot, or bigfootlike creatures, are known
throughout the world..
North America (U.S. and Canada) .Common Names)
Name
State/Province
Bigfoot ... All areas in the U.S.
Fouke Monster
Fouke,...Arkansas
Grassman... Ohio
Momo... NE Missouri
Mountain
Devils... Pacific Northwest
Old Yellow Top... Ontario (See Note
1)
Sasquatch ...All areas.Canada (See Note 2)
Skunk Ape...
Florida
Windigo... Quebec
Woods Devil ...New Hampshire
Wookie...
Louisiana
Note 1: The reference here
is to a particular sasquatch with a blond patch of hair on its head and a
light-colored mane. It appeared and reappeared around Cobalt, Ontario over a
period of 64 years. The last sighting was in August 1970.
Note 2: Note: This
is an anglicized Indian name meaning .hairy giant..
NOTE: Entries shown as .Not known. simply implies
that I do not
know the English meaning. There would definitely be a
translation,
but it was not shown in the material I studied..
Northwest North America
Native Name......... Names
Meaning.................... People.
At’at’ahila ................
Not known ...............................Chinookan
Bogs
........................ Not known .............................. Bella
Coola
Buck’was ................ Wild Man of the Woods
.........Kwakiut
C’amek’wes ........... Not known
.............................. Lummi
Choanito ................. Night people
.......................... Wenatchee
El-Ish-kas ................ Not known
.............................. Makah
Hecaitomixw .......... Dangerous Being
.................. Quinault
Itssuruqai................. Cannibal
monster.................. Shasta
Kala’litabiqw........... Not
known............................... Skagit Valley
Madukarahat...........
Giant Karok
Omah ......................Not known
.................................Yurok
Qui-yihahs ..............The five
brothers ......................Yakima/Klickitat
Sasahevas.............. Wild
man.................................. Chehalis
Sasahevas ..............Wild
man of the woods ..........Salish
Sc’wen’ey’ti ........... Tall, hairy,
smells like burnt hair .... Spokane
See’atco ................ One who runs
and hides.......... Coast Salish
Sesquac.................. Wild man of the
woods ...........Coast Salish
Skanicum ................Stick
Indians............................. Colville
Skukum ..................
Devil of the forest..................... Quinault
Skookum.................
Evil God of the woods .............Chinook
Sne Nah ..................Owl
Woman ...............................Okanogan
Steta’l
......................Spirit Spear ...............................Puyallup and
Nisqually
Ste ye mah .............Spirit hidden under cover of
woods.....Yakima
Tsialko..................... Wild Indians
..............................Puyallup and Nisqually
Yayaya-ash
.............The Frightener ..........................Klamath
Non-North American
Countries
Name.................
Country........................Region
Almas
................Mongolia & Russia
Biabin-guli................................................. Europe
Barmanou ........Afghanistan and Pakistan
Barmanus......... NW Pakistan
Brenin llwyd ...............................................Europe
Chemosit ..................................................
Africa
Chuchunaa ...............................................
Siberia
Ebu Gogo ........Flores Islands .................Indonesia
Firla
Mohir ................................................ Europe
Gin-sung
................................................... Asia
Grendel
..................................................... Europe
Higabon
.................................................... Japan
Kakundakari
............................................. Africa
Kapre
........................................................ Philippines
Kaptar
....................................................... Russia
Kikomba
.................................................. Africa
Maricoxi
................................................... South America
Mapinguar
............................................... Brazil & Bolivia
Mecheny
.................................................. Asia
Mirygdy
..................................................... Asia
Ngoloko
................................................... Africa
Nguoi Rung
..............................................Vietnam
Nyalmo
.................................................... Himalayas
Orang Pendek
.....Sumatra ................... Indonesia (Note: This is a small man-like
creature.)
Orang Mawas
..........................................Malaysia
Tano giant
............................................... Africa
Teh-lma
................................................... Tibet
Ucumar
................................................. .. Latin America
Woodwose
............................................. Medieval Europe
Yeren
....................................................... China
Yeti (or
Meh-teh)..................................... Tibet
Yowie....................................................... Australia
The Seeahtik Belief
The following newspaper article
which appeared right after the Mount St. Helens incident involving Fred Beck and
his party of prospectors in 1924, sums up the unique belief of the Clallam
native people on the nature of sasquatch/bigfoot. Although it brings into play
various aspects of the paranormal (usually seen in native lore), it is
nonetheless very compelling. It is not beyond reason that the sasquatch could be
a race of aboriginal people as the Clallam natives claim.
The Seattle Daily Times July 16,
1924
Clue to .Gorilla Men. Found. May be Lost Race of
Giants.....Clallam Indians tell of Eight-Foot Seeahtiks Who Killed Game by
Hypnotism. Existence Kept Secret by Other Tribes
1924 - Hoquiam, WA - Wednesday, July
16. .Mountain Devils discovered at Mount St. Helens near Kelso, are
none other than the Seeahtik Tribe,. said Jorg Totsgi, Clallam Tribe Editor of
The Real American, an Indian national weekly publication in an
interview here today. .Seeahtik. is a Clallam pronunciation. All other tribes
pronounce it: .Seeahtkoh..
The Indians of the Northwest have kept the
existence of the Seeahtiks a secret. Partly because they know no white man would
believe them and the Indian, known for his honesty and truthfulness, does not
like to be called a liar, and partly because the North-Western Indian is ashamed
of the Seeahtik Tribe, said Totsgi.
The Mountain devils or gorillas who
bombarded the prospector's shack on Mount St. Helens, according to the
description of the miners, are none other than the Seeahtik Tribe with whom
every Indian in the North West is familiar, said Totsgi.
Were thought to be
Extinct: The Seeahtiks were last heard of by the Clallam Indians about fifteen
years ago, and it was believed by the present day Indians, that they had become
extinct. The Seeahtik Tribe make their home in the heart of the wilderness on
Vancouver Island and also on the Olympic Range.
As described by the Clallam
Indians, the Seeahtiks are seven to eight feet tall. They have hairy bodies like
the bear. They are great hypnotists, and kill their game by hypnotism.
They
also have a gift of ventriloquism, throwing their voices at great distances and
can imitate any bird in
the Northwest. They have a very keen sense of humor,
Totsgi added.
In the past generations they stole many Indian women and Indian
babies. They lived entirely in the mountains, coming down to the shores only
when they wanted a change of diet. The Quinaults claim they generally came once
a year to the Quinault River, about fall. The Clallams say they favored the
river area near Brinnon on Hood Canal. After having their fill of fresh salmon,
they stole dried salmon from the Indian women. The Seeahtik Tribe is harmless if
left alone. The Clallam Tribe, however, at one time several generations ago,
killed a young man of the Seeahtik Tribe to their everlasting sorrow, for they
killed off a whole branch of the Clallam Tribe but one, and he was merely left
to tell the tale to the other Clallams up-Sound. The Clallam Indians believed
that the Seeahtik Tribe had become extinct.
It is fifteen years since their
tracks were last seen and recognized at the Brinnon River. Prior to that time,
many Clallam Indians have met and talked with men of this strange tribe for the
Seeahtiks talk the strange tongue of the Clallams, which is said to have
originated from the bear
tongue.
The Quinault Indians, however, claim that
Fred Pope of the Quinault Tribe and George Hyasman of the Satsop Tribe were
fishing about fifteen miles up the Quinault River in the month of September four
years ago when they were visited by the Seeahtiks. The two Indians had caught a
lot of steelhead trout, which they left in their canoe, and the Seeahtiks stole
these.
Possesses Hypnotic Power;;
Henry Napoleon of the Clallam Tribe is the only Indian who was ever invited to
the home of the Seeahtik Tribe. It was while Napoleon was visiting relatives on
the British
Columbia coast about thirty years ago (that would have made the
year roughly 1895) that he met a Seeahtik while hunting.
The giant Indian
then invited him to their home, which is in the very heart of the wilderness on
Vancouver Island. Napoleon claims they live in a large cave. He was treated with
every courtesy and told some of their secrets. He claims that the giant Indians
made themselves invisible by strange medicine that they rub over their bodies
and that they had great hypnotic powers and the gift of ventriloquism.
Some
Indians claim that during the process of evolution when the Indian was changing
from animal to man, the Seeahtik did not fully absorb the Tamanaweis, or
soulpower, and thus he became an anomaly in the process of evolution.
The
Indians of the North-West are of the belief that the mountain devils. found at
Mount St. Helens are the Seeahtik Indians as it is generally their custom to
frighten persons who have displeased them by throwing rocks at them.
Ordinances and Resolutions .
Sasquatch Protection The continued insistence by witnesses and others that
sasquatch/bigfoot do exist has prompted some government bodies to enact
protective measures. The first was the Board of Commissioners of Skamania
County, Washington, mainly brought about through the efforts of the noted
bigfoot researcher Robert W. Morgan. It remained in effect for 15 years and was
then modified.
I present hear both versions (oldest
first)
SKAMANIA COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 69-01BE IT HEREBY ORDAINED BY THE BOARD
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF SKAMANIA COUNTY:
Whereas, there is evidence to
indicate the possible existence in Skamania County of a nocturnal primate mammal
variously described as an ape-like creature or a sub-species of Homo Sapiens,
and;
Whereas, both legend and purported recent sightings and spoor support
this possibility, and
Whereas, this creature is generally and commonly known
as a .Sasquatch., .Yeti., .Bigfoot., or .Giant Hairy ape, and has resulted in an
influx of scientific investigators as well as casual hunters, many armed with
lethal weapons, and
Whereas, the absence of specific laws covering the taking
of specimens encourages laxity in the use of firearms and other deadly devices
and poses a clear and present threat to the safety and well-being of persons
living or traveling within the boundaries of Skamania County as well as to the
creatures themselves,
Therefore be it resolved that any premeditated,
willful and wanton slaying of such creature shall be deemed a felony punishable
by a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) and/or imprisonment in
the county jail for a period not to exceed Five (5) years.
Be it
further resolved that the situation existing constitutes an emergency and as
such this ordinance is effective immediately. Board of Commissioners of Skamania
County
(Effected Tuesday, April 1, 1969)
*****
SKAMANIA COUNTY
ORDINANCE NO. 1984-2 PARTIALLY REPEALING AND AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 1969-01
WHEREAS, evidence continues to accumulate indicating the possible existence
within Skamania County a nocturnal primate mammal variously described as an
ape-like creature or sub-species of Homo Sapiens; and
WHEREAS, legend,
purported recent findings, and spoor
support this possibility;
and
WHEREAS, this creature is generally and commonly known as .Sasquatch,.
.Yeti,. .Bigfoot,. or .Giant Hairy Ape,. all of which terms may be hereinafter
be used interchangeably; and
WHEREAS, publicity attendant upon such real or
imagined findings and other evidence have resulted in an influx of scientific
investigators as well as casual hunters, most of which are armed with lethal
weapons; and
WHEREAS, the absence of specific national and state laws
restricting the taking of specimens has created a dangerous state of affairs
within this county in regard to firearms and other deadly devices used to hunt
the Yeti and poses a clear and present danger to the safety of the well-being
persons living or traveling within the boundaries of this county as well as to
the Giant Hairy Apes themselves; and
WHEREAS, previous County Ordinance No.
1969-01
deemed the slaying of such creature to be a felony (punish349 able by
5 years in prison) and may have exceeded the jurisdictional authority of that
Board of County Commissioners; now, therefore
BE IT HEREBY ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF SKAMANIA COUNTY that a portion of Ordinance No. 1969-1, deeming
the slaying of Bigfoot to be a felony punishable by five years in prison, is
hereby repealed and in its stead the following sections are enacted:
SECTION
1. Sasquatch Refuge. The Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, or Giant Hairy Ape are
declared to be endangered species of Skamania County and there is hereby created
a Sasquatch Refuge, the boundaries of which shall be coextensive with the
boundaries of Skamania County.
SECTION 2. Crime-Penalty. From and after the
passage of this ordinance the premeditated, willful, or wanton slaying of
Sasquatch shall be unlawful and shall be punishable as follows:
(a) If the
actor is found to be guilty of such a crime with malice aforethought, such act
shall be deemed a Gross Misdemeanor.
(b) If the act is found to be
premeditated and willful or wanton but without malice aforethought, such act
shall be deemed a Misdemeanor.
(c) A gross misdemeanor slaying of Sasquatch
shall be punishable by 1 year in the county jail and a $1,000.00 fine, or
both.
(d) The slaying of Sasquatch, which is deemed a misdemeanor, shall be
punishable by a $500.00 fine and up to six months in the county jail, or
both.
SECTION 3. Defense. In the prosecution and trail of any accused
Sasquatch killer the fact that the actor is suffering from insane delusions,
diminished capacity, or that the act was the product of a diseased mind, shall
not be a defense.
SECTION 4. Humanoid/Anthropoid. Should the Skamania County
Coroner determine any victim/creature to have been humanoid the Prosecuting
Attorney shall pursue the case under existing laws pertaining to homicide.
Should the coroner determine the victim to be an anthropoid (ape-like creature)
the Prosecuting Attorney shall proceed under the terms of this ordinance.BE IT
FURTHER ORDAINED that the situation existing constitutes an emergency and such
this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its. passage.
REVIEWED
this second day of April 1984, and set for a public hearing on the sixteenth day
of April 1984, at tenthirty a.m.
(Effected Monday, April 16,
1984.
*****
The Whatcom County Resolution for Sasquatch
Refuge:
RESOLUTION NO. 92-043 DECLARING WHATCOM COUNTY A SASQUATCH PROTECTION
AND REFUGE AREA
WHEREAS, legend, purported recent findings and spoor suggest
that Bigfoot may exist; and
WHEREAS, if such a creature exists, it is
inadequately protected and in danger of death or injury;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE
IT RESOLVED by the Whatcom County Council that, Whatcom County is hereby
declared a Sasquatch protection refuge area, and that all citizens are asked to
recognize said status.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution shall be
effective immediately.
APPROVED this ninth day of June 1991.
Sightings/Incidents Statistics (Compiled by C. L. Murphy)
This map/chart
provides a reasonable idea of the distribution of sasquatch-related sightings
and incidents in North America. The figures shown represent the number of what
are thought to be credible reports up to 2003 (effectively 100 years). However,
the true number of incidents would be much greater because most are not
reported. It is estimated that the ratio is about 8 to 1. In other words, for
every incident reported, 8 are not reported. One would therefor multiply the
figures shown on the chart by 8 to arrive at what would probably be the true
number.
To get an idea of how many incidents by state or province currently
occur annually, the chart figures can be used to determine a percentage of the
total which is then applied to a current estimate of the annual number of
incidents (reported and non-reported). At this time, that estimate is 400 per
year.
The figures shown on the chart total 2,557. If the question is, for
example, what is the current annual number of incidents in Washington state
based on the total for North America, the calculation would be: (286/2557)*400.
This equates to 45. So it can be said that there are 45 reported and
non-reported incidents in Washington each year.
If one wishes to isolate the
US or Canada in the 400 per year figure, it is simply distributed on a
percentage basis. Canada has 21% of the total and the US 79%. This equates to
Canada having 84 annual incidents and the US 316.
While all of this might be
mathematically feasible, it cannot be used to reasonably estimate a sasquatch
population in any area. One of the main factor that influences the figures is
the number of people available to see sasquatch or find evidence of its
presence. If, for example, Canada had the same population and distribution of
people as the US, then there would likely be many more times the number of
sasquatch related incidents in Canada.. Nevertheless, having said that, the
other main factor is the number of sasquatch available to be seen in a given
area. Naturally, the more sasquatch available, then the more likelihood that
they will be sighted or will leave evidence.
We see that British Columbia has
the largest figure for North America, yet the people population in this province
is far less than Washington, Oregon or California. Consequently, it can be
reasoned that B.C . simply has a greater sasquatch population than these states.
How many sasquatch are there in North America? A good guess is 7 to 10,000 with
about 80% living in (and staying in) Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British
Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California.
Noteworthy Artifacts &
People Probably the oldest known sculptured depiction of sasquatch are the stone
heads of which one is shown here.
They were found in the Columbia River
valley (Oregon and Washington) and date from about 1500 BC to 500 AD. Two
anthropologists have stated that the heads have anthropoid (ape) features. Other
stone heads show normal animals, so they rule out these associations.
As
there are no wild apes in North America, the sasquatch is considered a likely
candidate.
The best petroglyph (image etched in rock) of a sasquatch is
located at Painted Rock, California. The native people refer to the creature as
the hairy man,. and have a unique legend on how this creature
and other
forest creatures originated.
The age of the image is not known, but would
definitely exceed 500 years (Photo, Kathy Moskowitz Strain)
Possibly the
oldest published image of a non-human primate published in North America
appeared on the front cover of a 1785 edition of Bickerstaff.s Boston
Almanac.
It is said to show an .ape. from Africa. It is based on an
earlier illustration by the pioneering primatologist Edward Tyson. It has a
strange similarity to the sasquatch, and if this was the intent, then it would
be the earliest known non-native depiction of the creature.
(Image courtesy
of Dr. Brian Regal,Kean University, New Jersey).
The best pictograph (rock
painting) of a sasquatch is also located at Painted Rock, California., and the
same information applies as that shown for the Painted Rock petroglyph on the
previous page. The full rock image also shows the hairy man's wife and child,
although not as discernible as the hairy man himself. (Photo, Kathy Moskowitz
Strain; drawing, Brenden Bannon)
Probably the oldest native drawings of
sasquatch. They were both created by David Cusick (d. 1840), a Tuscarora native.
The first, created in 1820, shows a native woman parching acorns with a
surprised cannibal monster. watching her. The creature was frightened away
because he thought the woman was eating red hot coals.
The second shows
.Stonish Giants. chasing native people. The giants, it is said, started to
overrun the country in about 242 AD.They were so ravenous that they devoured the
people in almost every town. With the help of the .Holder of the Heavens. the
giants were defeated and forced to seek asylum in the regions of the
north.
The oldest photograph of a sasquatch footprint
was taken in October 1930 at a location about two
miles below SpiritLake, Mount St. Helens, Washington. The
print was 16 inches long. The photo came to light in
August 1963, when Marge Davenport of the Oregon Journal
was doing research on the sasquatch at the Spirit
LakeRanger Station.
The best native sasquatch mask is this Tsimshian
mask found in British Columbia in 1917. The actual mask was probably created in
about 1850.
There is no doubt that it shows an ape-like creature. The
Tsimshian people state that they have a belief in mountain
monkeys.
.
(Artwork by Peter Travers).
The best photograph of a
sasquatch footprint was taken by Lyle Laverty at the Patterson/Gimlin film site
on October 23, 1967. The first images shows the print as it appears in the
photo. The second image is the same photo inverted to eliminate the
optical illusion associated with some photos (prints appear raised rather than
impressed). As can be seen, the creature stepped on a twig. The break in the
center of the print has significant scientific meaning as to the nature of the
creature.s foot. The print length was 14.5 inches.
The best sasquatch
footprint cast was taken by Deputy Dennis Heryford at Abbott Hill, Washington in
1982. Many prints were found, along with half-prints that indicated a fully
flexible foot. The prints were about 15 inches long. The foot configuration is
different from that of the creature in the Patterson/Gimlin (Laverty photo) and
perhaps this is because that creature was female and this creature was male. For
certain, human female feet are much .neater. than human male feet, and I would
suspect that the same applies to sasquatch. This excellent reproduction of the
Heryford cast was made by Rick Noll. It is an astounding artifact.
The
best tracing of a sasquatch hand print was made at Fort Bragg, California in
February 1962. The creature was observed in the back yard of a house owned by
Mr. and Mrs. Bud Jenkins. It then approached the back door of the house which
was open. When Mrs. Jenkins, tried to close the door, she got it within 2 to 4
inches of closing it when the creature pushed back. She kept pushing, and after
a few moments the creature simply walked away, leaving a dirty hand print The
human hand shown for comparison is of a 6 foot tall male, 200 pounds. The hand
print tracing (base of palm to longest finger tip) is 11.5 inches
long.
The first photograph of a sasquatch was probably taken by Zack
Hamilton in the 1950s. He took the film for development to a shop in San
Francisco and told the clerk that he was a woodsman, and that he had been
stalked by some sort of hairy monster while in the Three Sisters area,
Oregon.
He ordered developing of the film roll, which showed shots of the
creature, but never returned to pick up his photographs. In 1965,
The San Francisco Chronicle
carried an article about the search for the sasquatch. As a result, the
camera shop clerk (now assistant manager, Dick Russell), recalled Zack Hamilton
and his photographs that had never been claimed. Russell had looked at the
photos about three years prior, and saw that they showed something very odd. He
called The San Francisco Chronicle and they featured an article about
the Zack Hamilton event on December 7, 1965. Russell is quoted in this article
as saying the following when he first examined the photos, "I got prickly all
over when I realized they were the pictures the old timer said he had taken in
the brush. I never saw anything like them." The Chronicle article showed one of
the photos which is seen here. The rest of the photos were never published and
have not come to light.
The first reasonable portrait of a sasquatch was
created by Chris Murphy in 1996. An image from the Patterson/Gimlin film was
enlarged and photocopied.
Chris then worked on the image with pastels,
enhancing what details he could see and guessing in details that were not
available. The creature's mouth was closed to give it a more .pleasing.
appearance and a decent chin was added. Many posters were created and the image
has been used on the covers of several books and as an illustration in books and
magazines. It is likely the most publicized portrait (artwork) to date.
The
first sasquatch image by a professional artist based on the creature seen in the
Patterson/Gimlin film was by Peter Travers in 2002. Travers. exceptional work
give us a good idea of what sasquatch may actually look like. His skillful
blending of human-like and ape-like features is very close to what many
sasquatch witnesses say they have observed.
The best non-native sasquatch
head sculptures were created by Penny Birnam, a Vancouver, B.C., artist in 2003.
They were created for a sasquatch exhibit at the Vancouver Museum in 2004/5.
Each head has different facial features as it is believed sasquatch, like
humans, would have individuality. The heads vary in size. The first head (upper
left) is 18.5 inches high, however these images are not proportional.
The
first sculpture of the creature seen in the Patterson/Gimlin film was created by
Igor Bourtsev, a Russian hominologist, in the early 1970s. He made several
copies. The sculpture shown here was gifted to René Dahinden after his visit to
Russia in 1971.
The only object for which we have photographic evidence
that a sasquatch touched is this wood fragment. The creature in the
Patterson/Gimlin film sort of stepped on it as she progressed along the gravel
sand bar at Bluff Creek. In the film, the fragment can be seen to move slightly,
so we are sure contact occurred. When René Dahinden visited the film site in
1971, he saw that the fragment was still in place. He took it home with him to
Richmond, B.C., and many years later (early 1990s) it was used as a cursory
indicator to determine the creature.s height, which came out as about 7 feet
tall. The fragment is about 26.25 inches long, 3.25 to 3.5 inches high and 1.25
to1.50 inches wide (height and width vary). It weighs about 2 pounds. Studies
indicate that it can be reasonably confirmed that the fragment was the same as
that seen in the film.
The first (and only) government-issued postage to
depict a sasquatch was released by the Canadian government in 1990. It was part
of the Canadian Folklore series entitled Canada's Legendary Creatures. The
Patterson/Gimlin film was instrumental in the design of the stamp, and the
government publication on the stamp series references the film and shows one of
the film frames.
(© Canada Post Corporation, 1990. Reproduced with
permission) The first and greatest of the main 20th Century sasquatch
researchers was Bob Titmus (d. 1997). His interest, and long search for the
creature began in 1958 when he taught Jerry Crew how to make a plaster cast of
one of the prints he found in the Bluff Creek, California area. Titmus had two
sightings of the creature. He investigated many footprint discoveries and took
excellent casts.
The most referenced Sasquatch-related totem pole is this
Kwakiutl pole that shows D’sonoqua, the cannibal woman, with her child. Some
native legend has it that the sasquatch were fearsome cannibals. It is likely
the size and look of the creature resulted in this myth.
This most
elaborate native Sasquatch mask is this Kwakiutl .transformation mask. It is
used to portray different characters in native dance stories. It is operated by
pulleys. I do not know its age, but believe it has been used for a considerable
time.
The four main high-profile sasquatch researchers to date. They are
(left to right) John Green, Dr. Grover Krantz (d. 2002), René Dahinden (d.
2001), and Peter Byrne. Known as The Four Horsemen of Sasquatchery, these
individuals spear-headed sasquatch research for up to 50 years (Green, Dahinden
and Byrne since 1958, Krantz since 1963). Although they differed greatly in
personality and opinion, they all held a common belief in the reality of the
creature and made major contributions in the field of sasquatch studies. All
four authored books.Paranormal Aspects (By C. L. Murphy) Although scientists in
general and normalist . Bigfoot researchers have absolutely no time for any talk
of the paranormal, it remains a contentious and much-debated
issue.
Remarkably, the contention that the creature was paranormal or
supernatural is far older than science as we know it. This was, and continues to
be, the belief of many of North America.s aboriginal people whose presence on
this continent dates back to about 8,000 BC. Science, of course, rationalizes
this fact by pointing to the many other creatures in native myth and legend
which also have paranormal aspects.
In other words, if you believe what is
said about these other creatures as being mythological, then you must concede
the same for Bigfoot.
However, there is an importance difference. Bigfoot is
the only native .mythological. creature that has been seen, and continues to be
seen, by thousands of non-native people. It is also the only one that appears to
leave physical evidence (footprints, hand prints and so forth).
Naturally
most non-native people don.t believe in mythology, so the creature is given
.natural status.. As such, it is stripped of its paranormal trailings and sought
after as one would seek any other natural animal (with guns, cameras, and all
manner of electronic devices).
Given the number of years (about 200) since
Europeans reported seeing the creature, the amount of physical evidence and
photographs we have that support the creature.s existence as a natural animal
is, in a word, pitiful.
There can be no doubt that this fact has resulted in
convincing some people that the creature is of a paranormal nature as contended
by native people. In other words, it can disappear at will and some how manage
to remain .unconfirmed. as to its reality.