Native Americans and Sasquatch

This project is a culmination of some of my greatest interests throughout my life, Native American Mythology and History along with the growing field of Cryptozoology. My interest in Native American history was sparked by my grandfather telling me different stories and things he has seen throughout his life and showing me some of his favorite Western movies with Natives depicted. Seeing this as a child made me want to gain more information on the various tribes such as origin stories, mythology, and tribal legends. But as I began reading more and more into the culture and reading stories from different tribes especially ones in the Appalachian mountain region, I began noticing a trend. The trend was there was a lot of reference of larger creatures bigger than man interacting with them through eternity. These beliefs and stories can be found throughout native American folklore especially in the Cherokee, Shawnee, and the Iriquois to name a few in the Appalachian Mountain Region. But the history of Sasquatch and NAtive American Tribes does not end in the Appalachian region. tribes in the mid-west and the Pacific Northwest have also been hotbeds for sightings, and the Pacific Northwest can be considered the bigfoot capital of the US. This project was also inspired by the Travel Channel series Mountain Monsters. The show itself furthered my interest in cryptozoological creatures, as well as giving some information about the creature they were hunting in accordance to the respective Native American tribes within the region.

The above maps and video showcase how different the landscape of the country was when Native Americans were at their peak of existence throughout the country. The above map showcases the native lands in the 1600s which showcased how vast the Native American territory was, at least until the settlers from Europe came over. As we all know everything seemed peaceful in the beginning, even with smaller skirmishes that were bound to happen, but in the time after the war of 1812, feelings toward the Natives began shifting as the new power regime began working and building the new nation. After the war of 1812, and the imminent approach westward of settlers many believed it would be good to move them across the Mississippi to make sure they still have land untainted by the newcomers, but the idea quickly became reality when Andrew Jackson implemented the Indian Removal Act in 1830, as well as creating tension between the groups because the Natives did not believe that had to leave the land the Great Spirit had provided them generations ago. Alas, as the power had been shifted the policy was enforced and the devastatingly emotional movement of the NAtives began taking place, and the first Americans lost the land they were then sheltered into smaller reservations and organizational areas as seen in the larger map above this writing.

The Tsul'Kalu goes by many different names in modern times due to translations or due to it picking up different nicknames over time. In English, Tsul'Kalu translates to slanted-eyed giant or sloped giant or known by its common name The Cherokee Devil. In Cherokee folklore, the Tsul-Kalu is known as one of the greatest hunters in the forest. But, in more modern times the creature I said to have mind-controlling abilities, and if you make eye contact it is quite possible you will never be the same ever again or in some severe cases, you may never be heard from again. Now the Cherokee Devil does showcase characteristics showcased by other tribes which is the ability to become invisible and or have some kind of magic powers. If you read the folklore it will explain that the Cherokee devil is not seen or is not visible due to lack of trust and a broken deal between himself an surrounding tribe members.

This map showcases the bigfoot sightings throughout the state of Kentucky over time. Kentucky is known for Bigfoot sightings due to its landscape being surrounded by mountain ranges with peaks and hollers'(gulleys, or river channels). But Kentucky is also known for having multiple tribes of sasquatch living throughout the state's central counties and others throughout. Such clans include the Wildman, an aggressive powerful bigfoot that isn't scared of human interaction, and it is also a descendent of the closely related midnight whistler clan. And the Midnight whistles were have said to kick out the wildman for exposing itself in the daylight hours when the majority of the cryptid creatures. But the midnight whistler itself is better suited for hunting in the darkest hours of midnight as it's name implies, due to the jet black fur and glowing green eyes adapted to hunting at night. But from my research, I could not narrow down the tribe in the region describing the Midnight whistler or other bigfoot in the region that is not the Yahoo, but there are some similarities in the stories. This story belongs to the Hoopa Indians talking about their bigfoot Oh-Mah. The oh-mah was described to have had a high-pitched whistle-like howl when communicating with one another, and they lived deep in the forest and they would protect their land from the workers by tampering with things in the dark of night when nobody was around. That seems similar to the Midnight whistler in ways because they are nocturnal (as are most bigfoot), and the midnight whistler is said to have a whistle call that resembles a locomotive or a train whistle, as well as they, will protect any land that is theirs against outsiders, or even other bigfoot clans in the area.

This map showcases the Sasquatch Sightings throughout one of the biggest cryptozoological hotbeds in the entire nation. With all of the hollers and hills, this state provides safety for any cryptid creature, but even a 7ft tall bipedal humanoid can hide in there, which shows the vast nature of the landscape. Also, there are many other mysterious creatures within the region, but that is a story for another time. West Virginia and the other surrounding states have long been characterized by mysterious sightings, especially for large bipedal hairy creatures like the sasquatch. But these sightings have been getting more and more frequent, causing mass hysteria, increasing the interest in cryptids, and investigations of the region for said creatures.

The Yahoo

The Yahoo is one of the native bigfoots in West Virginia, but this clan of bigfoot is more Iconic than the others. This clan of bigfoot actually got its name over time as the people who have lived in the region kept hearing this distinctive Ya-hoo-like scream/yell coming from the woods. Yahoo uses this sound as a mode of communication amongst family units within the species to identify the location or warn of danger coming forth.

As stated prior the yahoo was seen throughout time by the Native American tribes in the region, more specifically the Shawnee Indians. The Shawnee people also referred to the Yahoo as the Yeaoh in their Kentucky region, and the name has been interchanged since then. But the story of the Yahoo is a curious one due to the fact Daniel Boone claimed to kill one in the surrounding states of West Virginia.

The Raven Mocker

The story of the Raven Mocker is one of a different feel than the others because the raven mocker is not just one thing. This creature is prominent in the Cherokee tribe throughout the Mid Atlantic Region of the United States and is told to be a shape-shifting medicine man capable of transforming into anything, most commonly an older person coming into rob another of their life. Raven Mockers are one of the most feared creatures in all of the Native American folklore, due to fear it brings into the communities especially the elders in the community. It may not be a full-fledged bigfoot in a sense, but a lot of Native American tribes did believe Bigfoot does have some magical powers, and it would not surprise many to believe that the shape-shifting raven mocker could transform into a bigfoot as well as the elderly human state it is known for.

The Ohio Grassman

The Ohio Grassman is known for being the largest member of the bigfoot family. Grassman stands at an average height of 8ft tall and weighs over 600 pounds. When encountering the grass man it is quite typical to find one in a foul mood, and a foul odor. The foul odor is similar to the skunk ape of Florida, but the foul mood can be attributed to this member of the bigfoot family using its size to its advantage. The Grassman is the most aggressive member of the bigfoot family showcasing no fear around humans, as well as being willing enough to approach homesteads and camps of people in the area. Interestingly enough the majority of the reported sightings have occurred since the 1970s after a family was reportedly attacked by a larger bi-pedal creature. But there have also been reports going back to the 1700s where the Native American Tribes in the area left food out in areas where the Grassman was repeatedly seen to keep peace with the "Wild Ones of the Woods." Finally, the practice of leaving food out for bigfoot is a continuing practice in today's society for researchers and common "squatchers" to showcase they mean no harm to the region.

The Stonish Giant/ Stone Men

The stone men are key parts of the Iroquois folklore that there were large creatures known for using stones in battle along with having the appearance they are made out of stone as well, as well as having the ability to uproot a tree and use it as a weapon. But in all reality they were not made out of stone, the stonish appearance was due to the constantly rolling in mud and sand to build layers of natural armor to assist in protecting themselves against the weapons of the times like arrows, but the thicker skin was also capable of withstanding bullets as well. But these creatures were considered to be "man" but they did not behave like the normal tribes and were considered to be dangerous. But as the Iroquois referenced the stone coats/stone giants, the English settlers used similar terminology to describe what they believed to be bigfoot.

The Dustman

The dustman or as it was originally tabbed the "Duskman" is a bigfoot primarily seen in Washington County Pennsylvania. This member of the bigfoot is known for being one of the fastest bigfoots with the speed to catch a White-tailed deer running at full speed. But the Dustman was originally seen by the Native American tribes in the region, and later by the European Settlers, throughout the state and region. Parents used to use the story of the Dustman to keep their children close during the day so they don't run off too far and get lost in the woods. The story gained origin because they only saw the Dustman at sunset or Dusk, and over time the name was misconstrued to the Dustman, by the children over time of repeating the name their parents had told them to be vigilant of. But the theories of a Duskman are not only tied to the Appalachian Mountain region, similar stores have been tied to Native American Tribes in the western part of the Country. The Nisqually tribe native to the Pacific Northwest of the country has similar characteristics of a larger humanoid creature living in the darker depths of the forest, which scares children. This species was mostly seen in the wee hours of the morning or the dying light of the evening. The similarities between these two stories are just two of multiple stories throughout the country due to many different tribes detailing similar encounters with similar types of creatures.

This image illustrates a balance of man, animal, and "hairy man" living cohesively in a region. But the perception of the relationship between the two species of man and hairy man changes between tribes throughout the country. The majority of the tribes see bigfoot as a cannibalistic killer like the Windigo, or they abduct members of the tribe when they do not have enough food. Or they are showcased as creatures that terrorize and pillage out of anger, or they would steal food and rations gathered up by the tribe as well. But there are others who see the relationship between both as peaceful and as a sign of companionship, and acknowledgment between their individual groups as they see the "hairy man" to have human characteristics and demeanor. Other tribes also see them just as the Now, opinions change over time and I recommend reading the stories from the book in the citations if you wish to learn more about the beliefs and the history between the Native Americans and Sasquatch.