I am a registered tribal Member of the Hupa tribe in Northern California. I have had several
incidents concerning Bigfoot or as he is called by the elders tintah-k'iwungxoya'n. I grew
up in a town called Arcata and lived in Hupa on weekends and during the summer with my grandparents.
I had heard all my youth about stories of the creature that lived in the woods. He was never
something to be feared as my grandmother would say. In fact she made them out to be almost heroic
in a sense. I somewhat believed and didn't as there were a lot of stories being told of Bigfoot.
In the summer of 88 I was with my grandfather hunting in the woods up big hill road of a
logging road. We had not seen anything most of the morning. My grandfather was about 20 feet
in front of me when he stopped dead in his tracks and looked around. I was looking as well for
a deer or bear or something. I began to smell something very sour almost like a skunk but not
quite the same. I had no idea what it was since I knew first hand what a skunk smelled like. My
grandfather walked back to me and told me to get in the bushes and stay there. I did as I was
told and waited quietly and patiently. I heard a something about 50 yards away but not sure
what it was. Hell the way the woods echo sound it could have been farther but I was a little
scared so I figured it was close. My Grandfather stood straight up and began making loud
noises, stomping his feet and laughing. I had no idea what he was doing and did not know what
to think. The sound stopped and disappeared. My Grandfather told me to get up and he should
now chalk some of that up to Indian folklore and beliefs but I know something was there and
my Grandfather knew exactly what it was. I have since longed to smell the sour smell again and
maybe even see the bigfoot. I have been in the woods thousands of times and never had quite
an ordeal since. But I have seen things that are rather curious. i have seen trees debarked
several feet higher then a bear can reach to scratch. I have seen fish remains in the creeks
that seem to have been cleaned but with not a knife. I am a believer and have heard many tales
of the creature over my lifetime.
I have had many different things happen to me while living on the reservation but nothing was
as real as that day in the woods. I hope you do not think I am crazy or anything but if you
would like to know more just e-mail me back and I will let you know of other things that I
have seen, heard or was told by my grandparents and other elders of my tribe.
Thank you for your time,
"Vision Rider of the Hupa Tribe"
Logged by Bobbie Short, Thursday 12 Aug 1999
