Archives at Zinester: Oregonbigfoot.com March Newsletter. Oregonbigfoot.com Newsletter. Science & Technology

Subject: Oregonbigfoot.com March Newsletter - April02, 2005

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Autumn, sitting on what may be "The Log" at the Patterson/Gimlin filmsite

>> Editor's Note:

There's lots of great stuff in this month's newsletter! Don't miss the NEW AUDIO RECORDINGS, information on upcoming conferences (I'll be speaking at the Bellingham conference, so come by and introduce yourself!), new artwork by Peter Oberdorf in the art gallery and the free trial membership offer to the Oregonbigfoot.com members section (our content is growing by leaps and bounds).

I am currently working fervently on getting everything prepared for our month-long field expedition and doing pre-production for the accompanying documentary in mid-June. Trying to plan an extended expedition AND a documentary on a miniscule budget is an enormous task, but it's one that I believe in... so it'll happen come hell or high water. <grin> However, it means that I'm busier than a one-legged gal in a butt-kicking contest, so if you email me and I don't respond right away, please understand. Still, I'd love to hear from you so don't be afraid to send an email.

>> Autumn Williams
Oregonbigfoot.com
info@oregonbigfoot.com

Your comments are always welcome.

The legend lives.

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WILDMAN RESPRESENTATIONS IN NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE

>> I received the following infomation from Richard Beeler in Atlanta, GA, who found some interesting photographs on the Library of Congress Website while researching a book he is writing. These are from the Edward S. Curtis Collection, circa 1914, published in his book, The North American Indian.


Tsunukwalahl--Qagyuhl Person wearing Mask of Tsunukwalahl, a mythical being, used during the Winter Dance.	Hami--Koskimo Koskimo person wearing full-body fur garment, oversized gloves and mask of Hami ("dangerous thing") during the numhlim ceremony.

Richard writes: "Now I am already familiar with the Native American myth/legend of Tzonokwa/ Tsonokwa/Dzonokwa/the Giantess/The Whistling Woman/The Wild Women Of The Woods. It is said that North Coast Native American parents warned their children not to stray into the woods or the giantess Tsonokwa would carry them away. It has been suggested that this (along with many N.A. Legends) is a reference to the Sasquatch and their relationship with them. N.A. masks have depicted Tzonokwa with pursed lips as if it were whistling. Sasquatch vocalization research and study have some evidence that they use whistling, which lends to the possibility that Tzonokwa is a representation of Sasquatch... Now I realize that at first the costume construction is somewhat crude but if you look at what they are trying to depict...
- Hami translates as meaning 'dangerous thing'
- Large Hair/Fur cover humanoid biped
- Large Hands
- Large Head
- AND pursed lips as if whistling
...I feel that this is a significant representation of the Sasquatch by a Native American tribe as most animal and spirit representations that I have researched are just masks."

Fascinating find, Richard, thank you! After receiving Richard's email, I continued searching through the records and found more potential candidates for Sasquatch-like representations:


Paqusilahl--Qagyuhl Dancer representing Paqusilahl ("man of the ground embodiment"), wearing a mask and shirt covered with hemlock boughs, representing paqus, a wild man of the woods.	A Tsunukwa at Kwaustums A Dzoonokwa (or Tsunukwa) totem pole measuring over 20 feet tall, depicting a figure with hands outstretched to receive dowry from the wife's family.

>>Each month, a portion of this newsletter is dedicated to the legends, beliefs and tales of Bigfoot as seen through the eyes of Native American tribes in order to better understand their legends (or KNOWLEDGE) of Bigfoot-like creatures.

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FINAL THOUGHTS...

>>ANIMAL... OR HUMAN?

Often, and perhaps erroneously, Bigfoot creatures are referred to as animals. "North America's Great Ape".

But I often wonder just how "human" the Sasquatch really are.

"Human", by definition, is having the qualities or attributes of a man. Language, a sense of self, bipedalism... these and more are the things that make us human, and that we ASSUME separate us from all other creatures on this planet.

The patent assumption that Sasuqatches are simply "another stupid animal" may be misleading researchers to the point that their research techniques are useless. And that, regarding those researchers who wish to capture or kill a creature, is ok by me.

Suppose a live creature were captured. Would we treat them as we have other large primate species? Would we personify them, dress them up in clothes and make them smoke cigars and ride funny little bicycles in a circus act? Would we stick them in cages and infect them with the AIDS virus to see how their immune systems react?

Suppose one were shot dead? How much can we truly learn about a species from its corpse? Granted, if you dissect a Sasquatch, you'll know where its vital organs ore located or how much brain mass it has... but what about TRULY understanding their essence as a species? How they interact with the environment, the world... with us? Perform an autopsy on a human being and tell me their favorite color, what languages they spoke fluently, whom they loved, what was important to them or what their dreams were made of.

Based upon what I've learned in 15 years of research, I lean towards the notion that they are exactly what we humans would be had we not gone the way of industry and artifact... that they possess a modicum of intelligence much like our own, just focused on different aspects of life. If humans had relied upon their intuition, instincts and physical prowess, rather than their ability to create "stuff" for survival and profit, we may have turned out much as the Sasquatch did.

What, exactly, is "intelligence"? Intelligence, is, by definition, the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge. Certainly, these creatures show intelligence then. They have acquired the knowledge that we are dangerous and apply that knowledge by avoiding us.

We perceive intelligence as the ability to make things, to change (and often damage) our environment to fit our needs rather than adapting ourselves to the environment. But how "intelligent" is it, really, to damage that which we depend upon for our very survival? At the risk of sounding like I'm looking for a tree to hug, that doesn't sound like survival to me... it sounds like a very slow, methodical demise of our species.

Not very smart.

Autumn Williams
March, 2005

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If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider making a donation. Any amount, no matter how big or small, will help fund future research. Thank you, to all of you, for your continued support! Newsletter template courtesy www.brandsport.com Thanks, Bob! :) Visit Brandsport for automotive parts and accessories. They're the nicest guys in the business!
Newsletter articles/photographs © 2004-2005 Autumn Williams unless otherwise indicated. Material may not be reproduced without express written permission

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