Monday, June 5, 2017

Sasquatch Bigfoot: The Continuing Story


Was it merely an Indian Legend told to early explorers, a story characteristic of the native's mythical culture? Or, were the stories of giant hairy man-like apes actual reports of an animal that has managed to mystify its researchers and elude Western civilization for nearly three hundred years?

The following excerpt is from "Sasquatch Bigfoot: The Continuing Story" by Thomas N. Steenburg.

While the European pioneer traveled across the continent of North America he was entertained by its colorful natives and their flashy heroic tales of this elusive man-like beast. The names for this animal were as varied as the tribes of the North American Indians, themselves. Sasquatch (English pronunciation) was only one such name.

The same cultural differences that had entertained the settler, however, were to become part of the settlers' intolerance of the Indian ways. When the natives refused to give up their stories, religious beliefs and land and join the white man's "more civilized approach" to life their cultural structure was first discredited and then destroyed. The Indian was eventually cast away onto "reserved land" along with his traditions, lifestyles and legends.

Long after early explorers had laid claim to and secured their lands and cities, however, the descendants of the settlers began moving back to unpopulated territories to enjoy the beauty of the wild mountains and attempt to preserve what was left of the forests. It was then that the Legend of the Sasquatch was reborn.

Campers, hunters, adventurists were returning home with incredible reports of one or more giant hair-covered man-like beasts, huge man-like footprints and strange unidentified animal calls. Only this time, the "civilized man" would not hear, no such animal had ever been seen publicly or found by the scientific community. The Sasquatch became a joke, a myth, a money making event, a mere speculation to all but a select few men whose determination to prove its existence would not be quenched.

Several years ago, two such men grabbed the attention of the world with a film they had made of the elusive creature. Try as it might, the scientific community could fmd no evidence to excuse the film as a hoax or a set-up. As legitimate explorers, researchers and a few scientists joined in on the hunt to find the Sasquatch, the race for evidence was on; to prove the existence of and settle the Sasquatch mystery once and for all.

John Green, a Canadian widely renowned for his research into this subject proposed the theory that the Sasquatch is an ape, a great ape residing within but not exclusive to the North American continent. Professor Grover Krantz, an anthropologist from Washington State University has, from his studies, come to the very same conclusion. From his research into fossil records, Professor Krantz has surmised that the Sasquatch could be a close descendant of the Gigantopithecus. These, however, are merely theories and until the animal itself is proven to exist, all theories remain just theories.

In today's "enlightened" society man finds it quite easy to believe in the ghosts he can never see, the unscientific and possibly ludicrous ramblings of strange men with foreign beliefs but has difficulty believing what his fellow man swears to have seen, touched, heard or known. This type of objectivity regarding the Sasquatch, however, is not only necessary, but of extreme importance. In order to prove the animal is alive and is indeed an animal, no room can be left for frivolous acceptance. Such would hurt the progress of research and open the door to classifying Sasquatch with mythical creatures before proof can be found.

There can be no exact number showing how often this animal has been seen as it is quite possible that most sightings go unreported. Because the Sasquatch has been regarded as a "silly myth" for so long
now, it is strongly believed that many witnesses will clam-up to fend off negative publicity and ridicule. However, at the time of writing, 349 reported incidents have been brought to my attention.

In the United States there has been 57 reported sightings in Oregon, 98 reported sightings in Washington and 66 reported sightings in Northern California. In Canada there has been 105 reported sightings in British Columbia (B.C.) and 23 reported sightings in Alberta. According to the numbers in my files, the Sasquatch, if it indeed exists, seems to be dwelling in the forests, mountains and costal regions of Western North America.

In Alberta, a small part of the public school curriculum deals with "modern unproven monsters". The Ogopogo, The Loch Ness Monster, The Abominable Snowman and the Sasquatch. The Sasquatch seems to be presented as a single monster with a "boogy-man" type personality and the sighting of such equalized with that of a vampire, werewolf or a witch on a broomstick. The possibility of its existence as a rare, yet unfounded animal possibly harmless to the human race has all but been excused. This attitude has helped to place the animal along side fairy tale figures most children leave behind in their adulthood. Unfortunately, it has also led most adults to believe that there is no evidence of the animal and no serious research into the subject - What man in his right mind would spend time researching Peter Pan, Cinderella, The Wicked Witch of the West or, and especially, the "boogy-man"!

Common questions asked by people who discover that serious research is taking place are: "If it is in the mountains, why haven't I seen one? Why hasn't one been hit with a car? There are bear sightings reported and dealt with all the time, why hasn't the Sasquatch been given the same treatment?". One of the most common questions is,"Why hasn't the bones or remains of a dead Sasquatch been found?" This is the toughest question to answer. However, finding a Sasquatch in the mountains or forests would be like looking fora needle in a haystack. If it is there, the chances of finding it are quite rare. Professor Grover Krantz estimated some years ago that there may be only about 200 Sasquatches living in the Pacific Northwest.

The province of Alberta is larger than many countries. Much of it, however, is unpopulated mountain and forest terrain. Tourists, campers and hunters do run into bears and other wildlife but not everyday. Using the bear as an example, we will examine the possibility of running into a Sasquatch in the wilderness. 

Manhunts, plane searches, war games, nature excursions and full tours take place in the foothills and Rocky Mountains of Alberta regularly. During these times, bears are rarely sighted. The bear population of Alberta is quite high, yet a person who lives and travels through Alberta for ten to twenty years may never see one unless they go to a zoo displaying the bears. If the Sasquatch does exist, it is obviously a rare animal who may avoid or fear human contact. If this be the case then 349 reported incidents involving the Sasquatch is not an unbelievably high number.

Of the sightings reported to me, each person involved was questioned extensively. If they had enough information to be convincing an interview would be granted to get to the facts and expose the fallacies. Many of these people have come forward in fear of exposure. They are convinced that they have seen a Sasquatch but are tired or afraid of ridicule. This is their story.

You can read more by purchasing the book "Sasquatch Bigfoot: The Continuing Story" by Thomas N. Steenburg here.

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