Uncovering Bigfoot: Fact or Fiction?
By Carol Parris Krauss
Most people have seen the grainy black and white film clip. A large, very hairy animal is sprinting away. Standing upright, it stops mid-stride, does its best Marlon Brando while looking over one shoulder, and then glares directly into the camera’s eye. Bigfoot-fact or fiction?
Bigfoot has been sighted in different regions under different names such as Sasquatch or Yeti. The bipedal human-like creature is so popular there is a Sasquatch Information Society at www.bigfootinfo.org. The site has a sightings data base that includes all fifty states. People can log in and record their latest encounters. History on the animal and media information can be found.
Even though most people are aware of Bigfoot, it may be surprising to know that sightings still occur rather frequently. In Massachusetts on July 3, 2006 the hairy guy was spotted and in Tennessee it made an appearance on July 6. An exhibit is being held in Idaho at the Idaho Museum of Natural History. The display opened in June and while the museum has not taken a pro or con stand on Bigfoot’s existence, a large collection of memorabilia can be seen. Sightings have been recorded all over the United States as well as Canada, China, Russia, and Australia.
Those lucky enough to run into the beast say it stands about 8-9 feet tall. It has two very large feet, stands upright like a human, and appears to be quite muscular. Hair covers the entire body including the feet and the palms of its hands. Apparently it is not fond of Old Spice or Axe as it has been stated that Bigfoot has a body odor similar to the smell of sewage and feces.
The term Bigfoot has been in use since the early 1920’s. In the Pacific Northwest several encounters happened near an area called Ape Canyon in 1924. Then in 1958, it was spotted and large foot prints were found in Humboldt County, California. The word Sasquatch has also been in use since the 1920’s. Sasquatch is the term used for the creatures sighted in Canada. JW Burns, a school teacher at a Chehalis reservation, first used the word.
Movies such as Bigfoot, Curse of Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Legend of Bigfoot, Harry and the Hendersons, Ape Canyon, and The Legend of Boggy Creek have all sparked the interest in the big boy. Sometimes it is portrayed as evil, other times it appears comical like Harry when he encounters the Henderson’s home and they adopt him and the children fall in love with him.
Many times the sightings occur near bear habitats, so it could be possible that people are mistaking bears standing on their hind feet for Bigfoot. Eye witness encounters could be tempered by fear or what people think they have seen. There are some legends told by Native Americans that describe similar creatures. Prior knowledge and anxiety over a hairy beast emerging from a wooded area could distort what people think they saw.
And then there are the hoaxes. Footprints made from machines or crafted to look like the creature’s feet and photos tampered with by humans are just a few examples of tricks played on Bigfoot researchers. Finger prints have been found and plaster casts made but most scientists and anthropologists have also concluded they are fake. In 2000, an entire cast was collected. It is called the Skookum Body Cast but no experts can conclude what primate formed the impression.
But, the 1967 film is played over and over and questions remain. No one can say the black and white film is not a hoax nor can they prove it was tampered with by anyone. Does Bigfoot exist, are there many out there, and more importantly is there one living in the woods near you?