In the land of the Sasquatch

Bigfoot or Sasquatch is a legendary ape-man said to inhabit the forests and swamps of North America. Scientists and professional sceptics consider the elusive creature to be an urban legend or hoax, on a par with the Jersey Devil or the Fox Channel alien autopsy video. Yet, many ordinary Americans and Canadians from all walks of life (even a few scientists) claim to have encountered the creature. Some less ordinary Americans research Bigfoot reports and hope to catch a glimpse of the monster themselves - preferably on film!

There are innumerable books on the strange phenomenon. J Robert Alley's "Raincoast Sasquatch" is one of the better ones I've seen, written from the standpoint of a true believer. "Raincoast Sasquatch" records and analyzes Bigfoot sightings from the Alaskan panhandle, Coastal British Columbia and Northwest Washington - mostly the panhandle.

Despite its limited geographic range, the book is a relatively good introduction to Bigfoot or Sasquatch overall. Many of the observations from the "raincoast" are fairly typical: the creature is said to resemble an ape, build nests, throw rocks at intruders, chase deer, vocalize, overturn trees, etc. It leaves large, human-like footprints, shakes cars with scared teenagers inside, and plays mischievous pranks on campers. These kinds of reports come in from all of North America, as does the olfactory observation that Bigfoot smells like wet garbage or a carcass! Some other observations are perhaps more typical of the coastal regions: Alaskans who believe in Bigfoot claims that the creature swims, boards boats, steals fish from nets, or collects seafood. This would make it one mighty strange ape!

An extensive chapter of "Raincoast Sasquatch" deals with Native American legends about the creature. These don't always square with modern observations. Many Natives describe the creature as more human-like than ape-like, sometimes even the size of a human. The Tlingit believe that the "kushtakaas" or "land otter men" are really transformed humans gone feral. The Natives occasionally waged wars with the kushtakaas, as if they were a competing tribe. There are also legends about human females or children abducted by the ferals, or about hybrid offspring between a Wildman and a human female. Some Native legends mention a race of hairy people substantially smaller than regular humans. Here, we are clearly in the realm of folklore. Compare these stories with Scandinavian tales about trolls stealing children, or even modern tales about alien abductions and human-alien hybrids. Today, there seems to be some confusion between the older notions of wildmen and the more popular view of Bigfoot as a more ape-like creature. Of course, believers in the paranormal will have no particular problem with kushtakaas turning into sasquatches, or with the folkloristic connections, but J Robert Alley believes that Bigfoot is a real, flesh-and-blood creature...

The main problem with "Raincoast Sasquatch" is precisely that it plays down the paranormal aspect of the Bigfoot conundrum, which undoubtedly exists. Since it exists in the rest of North America, I find it curious that it's so absent in Alley's records from southeast Alaska. For a more comprehensive look, the reader might want to consult "The Locals" by Thom Powell.

Another problem - unless you are a budding Bigfoot nerd - is the sheer number of sightings retold by the author. I admit that I only read about half the book. It became somewhat tedious after a while to read similar cases reported from various obscure loggin roads on Prince of Wales Island... But sure, if the Sasquatch is your cup of tea, you will probably revel in all the stories about mysterious, large, hairy creatures lurking around in the rainforests of northwestern North America. Then, this book is probably a must.

And, as I said in another review, it's obvious that *something* strange is going on in the forests and swamps of America, and it sure aint the ivory-billed woodpecker!