Sasquatch or Bigfoot: a Pacific Northwest Favorite

Bigfoot is also known as Sasquatch – an Anglicization of the name Sasq’ets from the Halq’emeylem language spoken by First Nations peoples in southwestern British Columbia. It is a cryptid (your three-dollar word for the day), that is, a creature reported to exist but without hard physical evidence that it does. 

For centuries, encounters with this tall, hairy humanoid have occurred in the Pacific Northwest, capturing the imagination of locals and visitors alike. Eyewitnesses describe the creature as a massive, bipedal ape-like being, covered in dark brown or reddish hair with heights well over six feet tall and with an unforgettable ‘stench’ or aroma. Low-arched footprints up to twenty-four inches long and with five toes have been found in areas Bigfoot are said to inhabit.They have a lumbering gait but can move extremely fast when needed according to the stories.

Hotspots for Bigfoot activity include the remote wilderness areas of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The large expanses of forest with sparse human populations provide ideal habitation for these elusive creatures said to shun human contact.

Sasquatch tales date back to Native American oral and ‘pictograph’ history.  Tribes like the Yokut, Lummi, and Skagit spoke of giant hairy men inhabiting the woods. They regarded the ‘wild men of the woods’ as a distinct species, neither human nor animal. Cliffs adorned with Native American pictographs were discovered in California. These depicted tall, apelike figures, providing possible hand-drawn images of sasquatches made centuries ago. 

When European settlers arrived in the Pacific Northwest and California in the 19th century, they also told of spotting huge man-beasts while exploring the mountainous area. One of the earliest documented sasquatch sightings was reported in 1811 near what is now the town of Bluff Creek, California. The reports continued through the 19th and 20th centuries, stories of loud vocalizations heard, and giant footprints found deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

A surge of interest into Bigfoot came in the 1970s when the famous Patterson-Gimlin film emerged, claiming to show actual footage of Bigfoot walking through the California woods. The film shot in 1967 appears to show a female Bigfoot walking through a clearing. Debate continues over its authenticity.

The encounter reports persist. Whether glimpses of Bigfoot, hearing strange calls, finding footprints, or smelling a unique and pungent scent, something is out there. Is it an undiscovered primate species or a living piece of legend? Conclusive proof remains lacking, but the truth is out there somewhere. In the meantime, Oregon locals have fun with the Bigfoot experience. Special events, statues and pictures, books, and more bring people together to discuss their own experiences. There is even a fantastic museum devoted to Bigfoot in Oregon. Among other items of interest, they have recreated the Sasquatch ‘scent’ for visitors to sample. Visit https://northamericanbigfootcenter.com/ for more information.

I’ve never seen a Bigfoot, but I love the inspiration he provides. I created calendars this year to help fund the local feral cat T-F-R (Trap, Fix, and Return) program. Oregon’s Furry Feral Friends Calendar was created with a mix of many different Artificial Intelligence programs. After all, I didn’t have a lifetime to sit in the forest, waiting for a Sasquatch to come by and pose for me! 

If you want to contribute to our local effort to humanely decrease feral cat populations, consider buying a 2024 Calendar with 13 awesome Bigfoot and feral cat images. $20 for the calendar and $3.50 postage to USA, $6.50 to Canada. Email me at dani@danihaviland.com to order yours.