Native American Beliefs
Many Native American and First Nation peoples believe that a large, hair covered being, known by various traditional names (see Native American Names for Bigfoot), has always been a part of the environment of North America. The description of this creature (referred to here as sasquatch for ease of discussion) is fairly consistent between tribes, but the characteristics attributed to the sasquatch are varied. Some tribes view sasquatch as just another form of human or a member of another tribe that lives deeper or further in the wilderness. They attribute human behavior to him, including the ability to speak, build homes, use fire, create tools, hunt, and on occasion, marry human females. One example of this is found in the Cherokee story, "The Mountain Giant":
That night the girl said to her husband, "My mother wishes to see you."
"Call your mother. I will stay until the sun comes up so that she can see me. But when she has seen me, if she says anything at all I will go away to the mountains and I will not come back." The girl called her mother. The old woman came and looked into the little house outside the Lodge.
"OH! OH! OH!" cried the old woman. "I see the Mountain Giant. I see the Mountain Giant."
"Remember what I have told you,” said the husband to the girl, “your mother could see me. But if she said anything after she had seen me, I would go away to the mountains and I would not come back."
In a few instances, sasquatch aided in the creation of humans, such as in this Yokuts story:
Hairy Man was wiser than Coyote and knew that Coyote would cheat to win and People would have to walk on all fours, so Hairy Man stayed behind and helped Eagle, Condor, and the others to make People. They went back to the rock and drew People, on two legs, on the ground. The animals breathed on them, and People came out of the ground.
To the Micmac, on at least one occasion, sasquatch (or Chenoo) acted as a protector:
One day the Chenoo told them that something terrible would soon come to pass. An enemy, a Chenoo, a woman, was coming like wind, yes-on the wind-from the north to kill him. There could be no escape from the battle. She would be far more furious, mad and cruel than any male, even one of his own cruel race, could be. He knew not how the battle would end; but the man and his wife must be put in a place of safety. To keep them from hearing the terrible war-whoops of the Chenoo, which is death to mortals, their ears must be closed. They must hide themselves in a cave.
However, in most tribes, sasquatch is viewed as a horrible monster and cannibal. In particular, tribes from across America and Canada describe a female sasquatch with a basket on her back. She walks around, scooping up children into her basket, and takes them home to eat them. One story by the Upper Skagit describes the sasquatch's delight on getting a basket full of children:
Now Giant Woman danced. She sang this as she danced:
The children will be roasted on the rocks.
The children will be roasted on the rocks.
The children will be roasted on the rocks.
The children will be roasted on the rocks.
Traditional beliefs in sasquatch are also represented in songs, dances, and artwork. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, representations of sasquatch appear in rock art, such as the Hairy Man Pictographs, basketry, totem poles, and masks. It should be noted that it is critical to consult with tribal people before assuming a piece of artwork represents a sasquatch, particularly in art. Artwork is often subjective and it is up to the artist to determine what the art represents.
While these stories do not constitute proof that sasquatch is a real creature, it is a form of evidence.
