If Sasquatch is so prevalent in this area, why aren’t there more photos from this region? Or videos? Why does Oregon/Northern California continue to get all of the attention?

I asked an Elder what he knew of the ‘Apes’. He sneered a bit and said he ‘had never heard of any apes around here.’ I persisted and he finally told me that the Sasquatch were not apes or animals, rather they were an ancient race of men. They are covered with hair, I pointed out. They are covered with fur, he corrected. I figured he was being cranky and dropped the discussion. After a time he said ‘In the old days before the White man came, our people (we are Carriers) were nomads. We followed the food, hunting in small, family groups. It was a hard life. We had no time for carving or weaving like the coast peoples. In fact we raided them. We were marauders. Our men would come down from the mountains at night. They dressed in skins with the fur turned out. They would whoop and holler from the edge of the woods, flinging rocks onto the roofs of the long houses in the village. The coastal people, always wary of the woods, would come running out and see the men of our people. Sometimes they would flee in their boats, leaving foodstores for plunder. We disguised ourselves as Sasquatches? I asked, surprised that I had never heard of this, before. No, I was told, the Sasquatch people only wore furs in the winter in the old days. How do you know? I demanded. We used to trade with them, he said, in the old days. ‘I guess you knew Paul Bunyon,too, in the old days,’ I said.

‘They spoke Skookum,’ the old man continued, ignoring me.’Not well, mind you, but they could point and grunt like anyone and that is all you need for trading. ‘What did they trade?’ I asked slyly, hoping to trap him. Furs! he said, they traded raw animal hides that we could finish tanning. We traded them dried fish for the hides. I have never seen them at any of the gatherings, is it because no one speaks Skookum, any more? I asked. No, we saw less of them after the Small pox went through. We’d see them, but they wouldn’t parlay. After the Spanish flu we didn’t see them at all for a while. When they came again they wore skins like raiders and scowled at anyone they met. We are not friends with them any more.

That is how I heard it thirty years ago.

But having been in that area I can vouch: ANYTHING big that wanted to avoid people would have found a very good place to do so. Much of it may be fenced. But fences aren’t such a big thing for most wild animals. And there ain’t much in the way of humans inside – or outside – those fences. I tend to go to remote places, and I’ve seen few quieter than that one.

And as far as loggers in Oregon: now why the heck am I not one bit surprised?

I now live in Oregon, and you should know, that the loggers don’t want anyone to know what they see in the woods for fear that the government will turn the forest into another “Spotted Owl incident”. They are afraid that the forest will be closed down to protect an endangered species. I know when they have some of their timber meetings, they will specifically discuss not talking about sightings. It is all strictly closed mouthed. The loggers know not talk about anything they see.

Unless somebody with tons of money steps in, and hands the money to qualified people to go look.

Confirming an unknown species, of any size, requires time, people and equipment. The rez cops are cops. They’re not zoologists; they have other things going on. The sightings here are getting pretty much the same short shrift sightings have always gotten. Because they are not proof; they have to be followed up on; and right now the time money and inclination are not there.

An additional factor that can’t be discounted is that the First Nations seem not to have the incredulity factor mainstream American society harbors about things like this. They know that it’s a bit of a big deal, but not so much of one that everybody’s going to suspend their lives to Find The Monster. To them it really isn’t one.

It’s just another critter. OK, maybe a bit more. Which, if you think about it, is the way we ought to treat all of our critters, if we want to keep them.

I’m not trying to be flippant, but I wonder if the reports are more paranormal than based in reality.