Prologue
In spite of my post title, I do not view this as a flakey topic or in a flippant manner. I have been looking at it for fifty years and I simply cannot squeeze all I've learned into one blog post, but I will try to give the highlights and ask that you join me with an open (yet alert) mind as I give you a whirlwind tour of my search for Sasquatch which has taken me across two Canadian Provinces and five decades of time.
My FIRST Course Reset
When I was seven years old the course of my life was changed when my father bought a farm in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains west of Calgary, Alberta and I went from being a City-Girl to being a Farm-Gal.
I took to it like a “duck to water” and quickly learned Bush Craft and all about how to interpret animal tracks and scat.
Although I've never seen a Grizzly (“Thank you, Jesus!”), I have seen many brown and black bears. I'm familiar with what they look like standing on their hind legs, whether it's because a Mama Bear is angry when I've stumbled upon her cub OR when they are reaching for something high OR when they are rolling a car over because the occupants ran out of the weiners and marshmallows they had been feeding it through a crack in their windows.
(The “DON'T FEED THE BEARS” signs are there for a REASON people!)
In 1975, when I was nine years old (Oops! 🙊Accidentally outed my age on the internet again), a family friend was staying with us and I saw him reading a book with a very odd title and asked him what the single word meant.
“Sasquatch, Laura-Lee, is a creature that roams around in the forests in this area.”
He showed me the front cover of the book which had a still image from the now famous Patterson-Gimlin film.
I responded with,
“That's funny. During all my time in the bush I've never seen one. What kind of tracks does it have?”
He showed me a photo in the middle of the book with a man holding a plaster cast of an extremely large foot, which is where the Sasquatch derives its American name of, Bigfoot.
But something else happened at that moment. As soon as I saw the cover and that creature looking straight at ME I was overwhelmed with both fear and fascination. I had to know more!
He immediately handed the book to me, said I could keep it and I spent the next two days curled up in a corner consuming it.
Just a Fringe Topic
Now for those of you who have lived out your lives in the echo chamber of “Evange-Land (the name I've given to the Evangelical Christian subculture) and consider this just some sort of “fringe topic”, I'm sorry to have to burst your bubble and tell you that, “It's not”.
The following screenshots are from the artistic website DeviantArt and demonstrate just how massive and important Sasquatch (Canadian name), Bigfoot (American name) and the Yeti (European name) are to people.
Take NOTE of how many drawings there are in each search I did at that website.
Also take NOTE that the majority of people who have dedicated a considerable amount of time (and sometimes their entire lives) to locating evidence of Bigfoot are FAR from “Flakes”. Most involved are experienced researchers, investigators, hunters and trackers who approach the topic with a huge degree of integrity and skepticism because they realize this is a great mystery that they earnestly desire to solve.They CANNOT (and should not) be summarily dismissed.
My Second Course Reset
In 1977, at the age of eleven years old (Oops! 🙊Dag-nabit. I did it again.), my family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia which is Sasquatch HQ. I lived there for seventeen years and it is where my search for Sasquatch took on a decidedly more scientific bent.
In BC many towns embrace Sasquatch merely to make money for tourist purposes but it is such a serious endeavor there that the BC Government has a large, dedicated area called the “Sasquatch Provincial Park” and the University of British Columbia (UBC) has OFTEN hosted several serious symposiums in regards to the existence of Sasquatch.This was originally done by John Green, who was a Canadian, born in Vancouver and educated at UBC and later at Columbia University.
“As a renowned authority in the field, John Green appeared as a keynote speaker at three of the major scientific Sasquatch symposia beginning with the May 1978 “Anthropology of the Unknown: Sasquatch and Similar Phenomena Conference” at the University of British Columbia”
(source. Wikipedia)
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My THIRD Course Reset (and most important one)
was when I became a Born Again Christian in 1978. At that point all the fear and obsession connected with Bigfoot melted away and was replaced by just a continuing keen interest to investigate and uncover the truth about this topic, which has been ongoing throughout my lifetime.
Is Bigfoot Real?
The Patterson-Gimlin Film (the Elephant in the Room)
Also known as the Patterson film or the PGF is an American short motion picture of an unidentified subject that the filmmakers have said was a Bigfoot. The footage was shot in 1967, by Bluff Creek in Northern California and has since been subjected to many attempts to authenticate or debunk it.
Upon initially viewing this ten second footage I quickly came to the conclusion it was not a bear on its hind legs, not a gorilla and (after seeing all the “Planet of the Apes” movies several times) I knew it was NOT Roddy McDowell.
But as Mom always used to tell me,
“Consider the source, Laura-Lee” so I turned my attention to both Patterson and Gimlin and the apparent circumstances that they shot the footage under. But, just like everyone else in the Bigfoot community, I continued swaying back and forth about its veracity. Deciding the truth would not be found there I moved on to other evidence. Primarily the Footprints and Eyewitness Testimonies.
Big Feet:
I have seen many photographs of the imprints of big feet left in different kinds of terrains and handled several plaster casts myself but I kept thinking all these could be faked. But one Bigfoot cast stood out in my mind. The cast of a footprint of a wounded Bigfoot. It seemed unusual that someone would fake such a thing but since I still could find nothing conclusive there, I moved on to…
Eyewitness Testimonies:
I started by questioning people I already knew which was primarily my family members (I come from a large French Canadian family) and my neighbors who lived in the Alberta farming community where our farm was, particularly focusing on those who had lived there their entire lives.
When I began talking to others about their encounters with Sasquatch I intentionally discounted Bigfoot Hunters, anyone who stood to gain notoriety or money from the situation or anybody who previously held a belief in Bigfoot (which may taint their recollections)
I focused solely on accounts from regular people who had an unexpected sighting during the course of their everyday lives and who had never seen the creature before and never saw it after. There were SO many people in this category, their accounts were very detailed, they didn't alter their stories (even when pressed) and they usually ended with the phrase ,”I don't know exactly what I saw but it was nothing I had ever seen before.”
I came to the conclusion they were not lying and were definitely seeing something real.
Then, in the late 1990s, DNA testing became available and took a big role to discover if Bigfoot was real. Many credible scientists and agencies (including the FBI) examined several hair samples which had been discovered near footprints or after encounters with Bigfoot. All the DNA analysis could prove is that it was something never before classified and therefore it remained scientifically inconclusive.
My Conclusion?
Yes. They exist. But…
WHAT are they?
Most people who were educated in the scientific profession believe they are searching for some form of primate that will turn out to be the "missing link".
Atheists are desperate to find concrete evidence of Sasquatch in order to find some form of solid foundation for the Theory of Evolution.
Spiritual Aspects of Sasquatch:
Let me introduce you to the
“Four Horsemen of Sasquatchery” (no I didn't name them that)
Peter Cyril Byrne (August 22, 1925 - July 28, 2023) was an Irish-American explorer, author, media personality, and cryptozoologist, probably best known as a Bigfoot investigator.
René Dahinden,
(August 22, 1930 – April 18, 2001) was a Canadian Bigfoot (Sasquatch) researcher. Dahinden was born in Switzerland and moved to Canada in October 1953, where he would live for the rest of his life. He became interested in the Bigfoot phenomenon shortly after arriving in Canada, and during the next few decades he conducted many field investigations and interviews throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Dahinden was a major advocate for the controversial Patterson-Gimlin film which was shot in 1967 and supposedly provides photographic evidence of Bigfoot.
With Don Hunter, he co-wrote the book Sasquatch.
BTW Rene Dahinden and Don Hunter's book is the original “Sasquatch” book I read.
BTW (again) Dahinden is also the inspiration for the character Jaques LaFleur (played by David Suchet) in the movie, “Harry and the Hendersons” (1987)
John Green, (whom I previously mentioned)
Born: February 12, 1927 VANCOUVER, BC
Died: May 28, 2016 (age 89 years), CHILLIWACK, BC
Grover Sanders Krantz
(November 5, 1931 – February 14, 2002) was an American anthropologist and cryptozoologist. He was one of few scientists not only to research Bigfoot, but also to express his belief in the animal's existence. Throughout his professional career, Krantz authored more than 60 academic articles and 10 books on Human Evolution and conducted field research in Europe, China and Java.
Native Connections:
When I first arrived in Vancouver I was attending the public elementary school of Miller Park (in Coquitlam) and the entire school was divided into three “Teams” for whenever we would have competitions (like a Track and Field Day)
These three teams were Salish, Nootka and Bella Coola. When I asked what these strange words were I was informed they were the names of three big tribes of Natives indigenous to the west coast of British Columbia. The Sasquatch is a deep part of native spirituality and folklore. In fact, the term “Sasquatch” actually originated with them.
It is also important to consider that the “Yeti” (aka. Abominable Snowman) of the Himalayan Mountain regions has its origins with the monks of Tibet. They actually claim to have the only actual conclusive evidence. A Yeti hand.
Biblical Theories:
It may surprise many of you to know that there are also many “Biblical” theories as to what these creatures are.
Some say they are descendants of Cain, because he was a cursed wanderer who lived “in the earth”, just like Sasquatch are said to live in caves.
They are also equated with Esau because he was so excessively hairy.
And many say that it is some form of the Nephilim that survived the Flood.
BUT, if you look deeper into these beliefs, you discover that they all have their origin in the Latter Day Saints (Mormon) church.
In the LDS book “The Pearl of Great Price” (which they actually hold in higher esteem than the Bible) they have added many things to the Biblical accounts of these three Bible people(s). For those who do not know the Bible well, they hear a Bible person mentioned and assume that what they are being told by a Mormon is actually IN the Bible when it ISN'T.
Now take a look at the map I have provided of Bigfoot/Sasquatch sightings and you will see a very distinct and profound correlation between where there are an abundance of Native tribes and Mormon enclaves and an abundance of Bigfoot/Sasquatch sightings.
Let us also consider various aspects of a Sasquatch (according to eyewitness accounts):
They smell horrible.
They appear and disappear suddenly and quickly.
They cause huge fear followed by obsessive behavior.
They are linked to pagan beliefs.
There is still no concrete photographic evidence of them (in spite of the fact everybody now owns a camera on their cell phone)
Also consider the traumatic aftermath of encountering a Sasquatch which leads to lives of obsession, profound lingering fear, isolation from family members and often Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
This is what I refer to as the “Satanic Triad”
Sasquatch
Aliens
Occult
which are usually all “schmushed up” together.
Then, when I examine the Bible for how demons manifested themselves in those times and see all the same hallmarks in the here and now, I have come to the conclusion that all these three things involve a manifestation of demons.
Now this conclusion is not unusual to me or Christianity. This is a widely held belief amongst the natives themselves who often refer to them as demons in their tales and folklore.
Why Talk About this Now?
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| Illustration at DeviantArt |
It is said for every Sasquatch/Bigfoot sighting reported there are four that are not reported. Many people retreat into lives of fear and prisons of Silence. I can very much relate to this because my initial three years examining this subject put me in that exact same place. The BIG difference is that I got out the day I handed my life over to Jesus Christ. His perfect love set me free from all my fears and it it my deep desire that others should be set free as well.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
(1 John 4:18)
Also, I believe we are in the “End Times' predicted in Bible Prophecy and the topic of Bigfoot is about to “Go Loud” and will take on a much more credible format.
Just as we have seen in the case where testimonies were given before the United States Congress where government agents admitted to having recovered Alien bodies from New Mexico (and initially held at Area 51) and several members of the American military admitted that the Government has classified UAPs (UFOs) as a “serious defense risk”)
I don't know if there will be indisputable photographic evidence of a Sasquatch OR
one will actually be captured (which I doubt) but something will make the existence of Bigfoot not only plausible but probable.
We, within the Christian Community need to be aware and prepared for this. We also need to find a way to reach out to the untold thousands of people trapped in this life of fear and silence with the hope of Jesus.
Something else I also noticed in my decades of research on Sasquatch is that,
even though there are a few people who refer to themselves as “Christians” involved, there are actually no Born Again, Bible Believing, Followers of Jesus involved who have encountered a Bigfoot.
Why? Because it is DEMON activity and we know EXACTLY how to deal with demons, don't we?
We call upon the Lord, Jesus Christ and He puts them in their place quickly and thoroughly.
"But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
(Jude 1:9)
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:9-11)
"However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
(Luke 10:20)
It is my sincerest prayer that each person reading this will also have their names written in Heaven and know the same safety and peace I have experienced for the past 46 years!
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:13)
I have much more to say on this topic but I've gone on long enough and will leave it at this for now.
BUT in the future I will also be looking at Sasquatch as it is connected to native folklore and their pagan beliefs.
AND I will look at Bigfoot in Pop Culture as we examine the strides it has made into Hollywood. So stay tuned for those.
As I continue to strive to bring you …
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee
The following video is the best cross section I could find of the people involved and their very different beliefs, motives and means of investigation.
LINK "Sasquatch Odyssey" YouTube (full movie)
Also. this LINK is to a previous blog post (much shorter) where I discuss the “Flat Earth Theory” which you may also find interesting and helpful.
LINK "Flat Earth Theory (Simplified)"
