Bigfoot – The “Wildman”

In 1958 a bulldozer operator named Jerry Crew found huge human like foot prints. The story was published in the Humboldt Times with a photo of Jerry Crew holding one of the large casts. The people in the area had been calling the mysterious track-maker "Big Foot", which columnist Andrew Genzoli shortened to "Bigfoot" when he published his article.

For most this was the first time they had ever heard of the large, hair covered, bi-ped and this was the unofficial date the the “Bigfoot” was “discovered” in modern times. Even many scientist mistakenly think that this is the first mention of such a entity in print, that before 1958 nothing matching the description of a Bigfoot had been mentioned or written about. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When historians would record Native American history the routinely categorized stories about a “hair covered” tribe of giants as legends and myths. Native American Tribes from New York to Alaska have stories of encounters with the Bigfoot. Many tribes routinely dealt with them and even traded goods with them. The Bigfoot were given “tribe” status in many cultures. Myths and legends do not get “tribe” status. Only a real peoples would be given this status in Native American culture.

Below is a list of just a few of the tribes and names that were given to what we know as Bigfoot.

The below list was compiled by: Kyle Mizokami, Henry Franzoni, and Jeff Glickman

Bigfoot Name	Tribe	Translation
"Not Available"	Tshimshian Indians	"Cannibal"
A hoo la huk	Yup'ik Indian	Not Available
Atahsaia	Zuni Indian	"The Cannibal Demon"
At'at'ahila	Chinookan Indian	Not Available
Boqs	Bella Coola Indian	"Bush Man"
Bukwas	Kwakwaka'wakw Indian	"Wildman of the Woods"
Chiha tanka	Dakota (East)/Sioux Indian	"Big Elder Brother"
Chiye tanka	Lakota (West)/Sioux Indian	"Big Elder Brother"
Choanito	Wenatchee Indian	"Night People"
El-Ish-kas	Makah Indians	"Not Available"
Esti Capcaki	Seminole Indian	"Tall Man"
Ge no sqwa	Iroquois/Seneca Indian	"Stone Giants"
Ge no'sgwa	Seneca Indian	"Stone Coats"
Get'qun	Lake Lliamna Indian	Not Available
Gilyuk	Nelchina Plateau Indian	"Big Man with little hat"
Gogit	Haida Indians	"Not Available"
Goo tee khl	Chilkat Indian	Not Available
Hecaitomixw	Quinault Indians	"Dangerous Being"
Iktomi	Plains Indians	"The Trickster "
Kala'litabiqw	Skagit Valley Indian	Not Available
Kecleh-Kudleh	Cherokee Indian	"Hairy Savage"
Kushtaka	Tlingit Indian	"Otter Man"
lariyin	Hare Indian	"Bushman"
Loo poo oi'yes	Miwuk Indian	Not Available
Madukarahat	Karok Indian	"Giant"
Manabai'wok	Menomini Indian	"The Giants"
Matlose	Nootka Indian	Not Available
Mesingw	Lenni Lenape Indian	"The Mask Being"
Miitiipi	Kawaiisu Indian	"Bad luck or disaster"
Misinghalikun	Lenni Lenape Indian	"Living Solid Face"
Na'in	Gwich'in Indians	"Brushman"
Nantiinaq	Kenai Peninsula Indian	Not Available
Nant'ina	Dena'ina Indian	Not Available
Neginla eh	Alutiiq/Yukon Indian	"Wood Man"
Not Available	Oglala Lakota Sioux Indian	"The Big Man"
Not Available	Twana Indians	"Stick Indians"
Not Available	Coeur d'Alene/Spokane Indian	"The Tree Men"
Nun Yunu Wi	Cherokee Indian	"The Stone Man"
Nu'numic	Owens Valley Paiute	"The Giant"
Oh Mah	Hoopa Indian	"Boss of the Woods"
Omah	Yurok Indian	Not Available
Ot ne yar heh	Iroquois Indian	"Stonish Giant"
Qah lin me	Yakama/Klickitat Indian	Not Available
Qui yihahs	Yakama/Klickitat Indian	"The Five Brothers"
Rugaru	Turtle Mt Ojibway	Not Available
Sasahevas	Halkomelem Language	"Sasquatch"
	Salish Indian	"Wild Man of the Woods"
Saskets	Salishan/Sahaptin Indian	"The Giant"
Sc'wen'ey'ti	Spokane Indian	"Tall Burnt Hair""
Seat ka	Yakama Indian	Not Available
Seatco	Yakama/Klickitat/Puyallup	"Stick Indian"
Seeahtkch	Clallam Indian	Not Available
See'atco	Coast Salish Indian	"One who runs and hides"
Skanicum	Colville Indians	"Stick Indians"
Skookum	Chinook Indian	"Evil God of the Woods"
Skukum	Quinault Indians	"Devil of the Forest"
Slalakums	Upper Stalo Indians	"The Unknown"
Sne nah	Okanogan Indian	"Owl Woman"
So'yoko	Hopi Indian	Not Available
Ste ye mah	Yakama Indian	"Spirit hidden by woods"
Steta'l	Puyallup/Nisqually Indian	"Spirt Spear"
Tah tah kle' ah	Yakama/Shasta Indian	"Owl Woman Monster"
Toylona	Taos Indian	"Big Person"
Tsadjatko	Quinault Indians	"Giants"
Tse'nahaha	Mono Lake Paiute	"Giant"
Tsiatko	Puyallup/Nisqually Indian	"Wild Indians"
Tso apittse	Shoshone Indian	"Cannibal Giant"
Tsonaqua	Kwakwaka'wakw Indian	"Wild Woman of the Woods"
Urayuli	SW Alaskan Eskimo	Not Available
Wetiko	Cree Indian	Not Available
Windago	Eastern Athabascan Indian	"Wicked Cannibal"
Wsinkhoalican	Lenni Lenape Indian	"The Game Keeper"
Xi'lgo	Nehalem/Tillamook Indian	"Wild Woman"
Yahyahaas	Modoc Indian	Not Available
Yayaya-ash	Klamath Indian	"The Frightener"
Yé'iitsoh	Navajo Indians	"Big God "
Yi' dyi'tay	Nehalem/Tillamook Indian	"Wild Man"

The below list may have duplicates but it illustrates how many tribes recognized the Bigfoot.

Source: http://wnybic.freeyellow.com/native.html

Bukwas - Kwakwaka'wakw Indian	So'yoko - Hopi Indian
Tsonaqua - Kwakwaka'wakw Indian	Miitiipi - Kawaiisu Indian
Tornit - Inuit Indian	Tso apittse - Shoshone Indian
Nun Yunu Wi - Cherokee Indian	Boqs - Bella Coola Indian
Kecleh-kudleh - Cherokee Indian	Loo poo oi'yes - Miwuk Indian
Gougou - Micmac Indian	Yi'dy'tay - Nehalem / Tillamook Indian
Kokotshe - Tete-de-Boule Indian	Sasahevas - Halkomelem Indian
Witiko - Tete-de-Boule Indian	Sc'wen'ey'ti - Spokane Indian
Atshen - Tete-de-Boule Indian	Seatco - Yakama / Klickitat / Puyallup Indian
Misinghalikun - Lenni Lenape Indian	Ste ye mah - Yakama Indian
Wsinkhoalican - Lenni Lenape Indian	Seat ka - Yakama Indian
Nu'numic - Owens Valley Paiute Indian	Skookum - Chinook Indian
Tse'nahaha - Mono Lake Paiute Indian	See'atco - Salish Indian
Slalakums - Upper Stalo Indian	Xi'lgo -Nehalem / Tillamook Indian
Iktomi - Plains Indian	Rugaru - Ojibway Indian
Kashehotapalo - Choctaw Indian	Skanicum - Colville Indian
Nalusa Falaya - Choctaw Indian	Seeahtkch - Clallam Indian
Windago - Athabascan Indian	Omah - Yurok Indian
Wetiko - Cree Indian	El-lsh-kas - Makah Indian
Sasquatch - Salish Indian	Saskets - Salishan / Sahaptin Indian
Choanito - Wenatchee Indian	Manabai'wok - Menomini Indian
Tsiatko - Puyallup / Nisqually Indian	Yayaya-ash - Klamath Indian
Steta'l - Puyallup / Nisqually Indian	Matlose - Nootka Indian
Atahsaia - Zuni Indian	Iariyin - Hare Indian
Madukarahat - Karok Indian	Goo tee khi - Chilkat Indian
Chiye tanka - Lakota Sioux Indian	Kala'litabiqw - Skagit Indian
Chiha tanka - Dakota Sioux Indian	Yahyahaas - Modoc Indian
Kushtaka - Tlingit Indian	Toylona - Taos Indian
A hoo la hul - Yup'ik Indian	Get'qun - Lake Lliamna Indian
Esti Capcaki - Seminole Indian	Nant'ina - Dema'ina Indian
Gogit - Haida Indian	Neginla eh - Alutiiq / Yukon Indian
Hecaitomixw - Quinault Indian	Oh Mah - Hoopa Indian
Skukum - Quinault Indian	Sne nah - Okanogan Indian
Tsadjatko - Quinault Indian	Qah lin me - Yakama / Klickitat Indian
Mesingw - Leni Lenape Indian	Ge no'sgwa - Seneca Indian
Na'in - Gwich'in Indian	Ge no sqwa - Iroquois / Seneca Indian
Ye'iitsoh - Navajo Indian	Ot ne yar heh - Iroquois Indian
Nantiinaq - Kenai Peninsula Indian	Tah tah kle' ah - Yakama / Shasta Indian
Urayuli - SW Alaskan Eskimo	At'at'ahila - Chinookan Indian
Gilyuk - Nelchina Plateau Indian	Qui yihahs - Yakama / Klickitat Indian

Just as the Native American's had different names for what we now call Bigfoot, so did our early American society. Before 1958 the Bigfoot was known by the name “Wild Man”. One of the earliest accounts of a Bigfoot by European explorers was from a Spanard named Jose Mariano Mozino. He wrote about Bigfoot” in his book Noticia de Nutka published in Spanish in 1792. Below is his description of the Bigfoot:

“I do not know what to say about the matlox (Sasquatch), inhabitant of the mountainous districts, of whom all have an unbelievable fear. They imagine his body as very monstrous, all covered with stiff black bristle; a head similar to a human one but with much greater, sharper and stronger fangs than those of the bear; extremely long arms; and toes and fingers armed with long curved claws. His shouts alone (they say) force those who hear them to the ground, and any unfortunate body he slaps is broken in to a thousand pieces “.


So not only did the Bigfoot exist prior to 1958, the Native Americans had a long history of interaction with them.

When the continent was being settled in the expansion that followed American Revolution people began to encounter these “hair covered giants” on a regular basis. Some of these encounters would be retold and published in the news papers of the day. Instead of calling these creatures Bigfoot, they were commonly known as “Wild Men”. In my research it became apparent that these “Wild Men” were common place in from the late 1700s until the late 1930's. They were seen occasionally in and around rural and mountain communities. Some infants and adults were even captured from time to time. They were so common place that it was not that unusual to see one or encounter one. Like other wild life in the forest the “Wild Man” was accepted as just another creature of the wild. 
 
Some time during or right after World War II people in our society had a “collective bout of amnesia”. It corresponded with the baby boom and the continued urbanization of American right after the war. Our society became more urbanized. Only farmers and out door enthusiast were spending a majority of their time in or near wilderness areas. The only wild animals most Americans encountered were in the zoo or on TV. 
 
Now when a hunter or hiker reported seeing a “Wild Man” they were scoffed and laughed at, called crazy, accused of misidentifying another animal such as a bear. This belittlement lead to the people living in the rural areas of America keeping these encounters with the “Wild Men” to themselves. What was once common place had now become taboo to talk about. No one wanted to be branded crazy or a liar. 
 

In 1958 the “Wild Man” was given his modern name, Bigfoot, by Andrew Genzoli. What is interesting is almost immediately the major news services picked up the story and almost as quickly the scientific community declared that such creatures were just legend and myth. Science was and is revered in our society. If a scientist says it, we as a people tend to believe it. The wisdom of the day was “Scientist can't be wrong, their motives are pure, they are in pursuit of the truth.”. The common belief of the day by a majority of the public was “If Bigfoot existed then modern science would have discovered it by now”. So in our collective public consciousness Bigfoot became a myth, a legend, a figment of our imaginations. No person in their right mind would believe in such foolishness. So the transformation was complete. The Bigfoot went from a common resident of wild to myth and legend in the span of one generation.


From the early 1800s to through the 1940s you see story after story on the “Wild Man”. One of the more interesting facts is how similar and consistent the description of the Wild Man is from decade to decade. You can take a news paper article from the 1820's and compare it to a modern day BFRO report and the similarities are astonishing. 
 

The “Wild Man” never left the forest, he did not go into hiding, he is not as rare and elusive as many believe. No, the truth is we left the “Wild Man”, we “matured” and “grew up, we moved to the cities and the suburbs and in the process we forgot that the “Wild Man” even existed. 
 
Maybe it is time we refresh our collective memory and once again the “Wild Man” will be remembered.