The Sasquatch: A history of much more than just big feet

Purported to inhabit the vast forests of Canada and the US, there have been thousands of reported sightings through the years. Between the early 19th century and 1995, there were 1,340 reported Sasquatch sightings.

In case you have never heard of the Sasquatch, it is a creature believed to be 2.75 metres in height and 360 kilograms in weight. They are covered in long hair, and their footprints are reportedly half a metre in size.

The story of the Sasquatch may seem like a modern tale, but its origins go far beyond the pre-colonial era. Throughout North America, there are Indigenous legends of mysterious hair-covered creatures that live in forests.

Each Indigenous nation has a name for the creature and its own version of the legend.

The Stolo Nation calls it Sacsquec, the Haida call it Gaagiixid and the Nuxalk refer to it as Boq’s. Typically, the name for the Sasquatch among Indigenous nations simply means wild man or hairy man.

The Sts’ailes people tell stories of a shapeshifting creature called sasq’et. This creature protects the forests, and the name also translates to hairy man. The name Sasquatch is an anglicized version of sasq’et.

The Sts’ailes people’s culture has a bond with sas’qets, believing them to be creatures that can move between the physical and spiritual realms. In their culture, the sasq’et live in the region from Harrison to Chehalis Lake in BC.

In the folklore of the Sts’ailes people, seeing a sasq’et means that you are in the right place at the right time, and the creature is considered benevolent for the most part.

A nearby mountain called Sasq’ets Tel is said to be the place where the Sasquatch gathers.

The Sasquatch is incorporated heavily into the culture of the Sts’ailes and is featured in the First Nations logo and on their flag.

The Haida see the Gaagiixid, or wild man, as a human who became lost in the forest and is on the brink of death. At that point, the person transforms into a supernatural being. Among the Haida, the Gaagiixid is meant to be respected and is believed to be a relative of the Haida. Songs and dances help preserve the folklore of the Gaagiixid in the folklore of the Haida.

The Coast Salish people speak of creatures called Ts’emekwes. These stories live in the forests and are nocturnal. Children were warned against saying the names of the creatures lest they appear from the forests.

In Eastern Canada, the Haudenosaunee tells of a creature covered in hair and very aggressive. They called it Ot-ne-yar-heh, meaning Stone Giant.

In the Pacific Coast region of Canada, the First Nations all have different views of the Sasquatch. Some see the creature as a malevolent creature bringing harm. Others consider it a creature that can paralyze with a look in its eyes.

Some First Nations view the creature as a blessing and a guide that appears at certain pivotal points in a person’s life.

One of the most common views of the Sasquatch among First Nations is a protector of nature and the forest. In those stories, the creature brings a sense of equilibrium to the world of nature.

While the folklore of the Sasquatch is heavily rooted in Indigenous culture, it was transformed into modern use due to an Indian Agent named JW Burns. He wrote a story called “Introducing BC’s Hairy Giants” in the April 1, 1929, edition of Maclean’s.

With the popularity of his story, he took Sts’ailes’ masks with him and toured the country to make a profit at the expense of the folklore of the Indigenous nations.

From that point, the story of the Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, spread through North America and the folklore was appropriated from the Indigenous nations.

The image of the Sasquatch was transformed in the process, becoming a cryptid that is the basis for countless television shows, documentaries and movies, and the folklore of the Indigenous Peoples was pushed into the background.

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