Native Legends

Bigfoot believers, as well as entertainers, use Native peoples' folklore as evidence of the legend’s existence. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “folklore: traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, or art forms preserved among a people,” (Merriam-Webster). An additional definition in Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “folklore: an often unsupported notion, story, or saying that is widely circulated,” (Merriam-Webster). In Bigfoot’s case, both of these definitions are true. Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science, writes “To offhandedly dismiss the question of Bigfoot or sasquatch as the

outgrowth of some sophomoric prank by a good-humored road builder and his relations is to ignore or trivialize the profound cultural heritage of the earliest inhabitants of this continent,” (Meldrum 73). This is a logical and empathetic viewpoint and an important thing to consider.

Dr. Meldrum goes on to describe one of these culturally important wildmen, “Along the southern B.C. coast us the Kwakiutl tribe who call the wildman, buk’wus,”(Meldrum 74). The buk’wus mask resembles Bigfoot’s common description: coarse hair, protruding brow, and

accentuated nostrils (Meldrum 75). This buk’wus creature is not simply a bipedal hominid who lives in the woods though, it has some supernatural aspects as well. Milwaukee Public Museum goes further into detail about buk’wus, “The spirit of Buk’wus, Chief of the Ghosts and woodsmen, is said to live in the forest in a house that is invisible by day, subsisting on ghost food and cockles and drawing the spirit of the drowned to his side. He sometimes entices people to feast with him on his ghost food, thus eternally trapping them in the spirit world and eventually turning them

into a Buk’wus,” (Milwaukee Public Museum). When taking in the full description of this creature, buk’wus being real strays from possible to impossible.
It is unwise to use Native legends as credible sources for the existence of Bigfoot. The Howard Journal of Communications writes, “Culture affects pedagogy. Learning stories are used by many cultures to stimulate questions, to raise issues, to stimulate debate, and to offer listeners a view of life as it could be. While many stories tend to support and confirm our perceptions of the world, the oral learning story may contradict, expand, or confuse our world views,” (Sunwolf). This quote tells us that it is common in native folklore for creatures to be created for very specific moral lessons. It is important to be mindful when we consume Native peoples’ cultural stories and ceremonies to avoid misinterpreting folklore and perceiving the stories as fact.