Sasquatch

In the rocky mountain terrain of the North American west coast lives one of legends most famous humanoids. The over-six-foot-tall ape-like creature is covered in dark hair and walks on its two back legs. the creature has been spotted numerous times in British Columbia, Alberta, California, and Oregon. Often referred to as Bigfoot or Sasquatch is a creature with Indigenous roots. Having maintained his importance Sasquatch is a prominent feature lore on the West Coast. [1]

Sasquatch begins rooted in Indigenous storytelling and spirituality. The Sts'ailes people are the indigenous people of the Harrison River Valley in British Colombia. The word Sasquatch comes from the word sasq'ets in Halq'emeylem, the language of the Sts'ailes people. the term translates to "hairy man" or "wild man" and would be anglicized into sasquatch as we know the name now. The Sasq'ets were the spirit of the land to the Sts'alies; he protected the land and the people of it. The people believed that the spirit resided on a mountain in the area called Saq'ets Tel, "the place where the sasquatch gather". The spirit is the symbol of the Sts'ailes nation and their commitment to the land. [2]

Sts'ailes would become part of European folklore as settlers began to live in the area. What is said to be the first settler sighting of Bigfoot takes place in 1884. On July 4 the British Colonist, a newspaper out of Victoria published an article titled "A Strange Creature Captured Above Yale, A British Columbia Gorilla". The story covered the discovery and capture of what appeared to be a human-like creature covered in dark hair. This story was shortly dismissed and revealed as a hoax. [3] Yet firm believers in Sasquatch feel that this article had truth to it, that what would become the legendary Sasquatch had been spotted publicly for the first time. 

The Sasquatch craze would disappear from the public eye until the 1920s. On April 1st, 1929, J.W. Burns published "Introducing B.C.'s Hairy Giants" in Mclean's Magazine. Burns was an agent of the Canadian Government living in British Columbia as part of his job concerning the Indian Act. Burns collected Sts'alies stories about the creature and coined the term Sasquatch in the process. [4] From this point on the Ingenious spirit would be linked to the European Humanoid myth. The familiar creature's legacy has only continued into more modern times.[5] 

Sasquatch remains present in modern media. TV shows, documentaries, podcasts, and websites have been dedicated to finding proof of the creature. The Harrison River Valley remains the location of focus for the creature, now having a museum with a range of memorabilia and stories related to the creature. The Sis'ailes believe that the creature is a sign of good luck, if you see the creature, it is because he wants you to and he wants you to know he watches the land you reside on. Sasquatch is proof that nature is still unknown to us. That even after years on the land a creature can go relatively unnoticed. [6]