Call it Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Istiyehe: Indigenous peoples know it as Protector | Oregon Experience

Indigenous peoples of the Nch'i-Wána, or Columbia River, know Bigfoot not as a monster but as a protector, a spiritual being that walks between the seen and unseen. For thousands of years, oral histories of Bigfoot have been passed down as a knowledge system, rooting Pacific Northwest tribes in respect, reverence and relationship with the land. Amidst mainstream portrayals of Bigfoot, this film offers instead an Indigenous perspective on the world’s most famous cryptid—as a relative rather than myth. Featuring the lived experiences of world champion jingle dancer Acosia Red Elk, artist Toma Villa, tribal council member Carlos Calica and anthropologist Phil Cash Cash, with an original score by Geneviève Gros-Louis. Learn more https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/2... Chapters: 0:16 Artist Toma Villa carves a mysterious Bigfoot mask 0:55 Title screen, “Guardian of the Land” 1:02 Bigfoot montage as a pop icon and myth 1:47 Introduction to champion jingle dancer Acosia Red Elk 2:48 “Bigfoot has always been a part of our lives” 3:14 Acosia Red Elk and Loveda Elk working on dress 4:14 Sharing First Foods with families of Bigfoot, or Istiyehe 5:36 Introduction to artist Toma Villa 6:18 Toma Villa explains the intention behind his mask creation 7:20 Introduction to anthropologist Phil Cash Cash 8:01 Phil Cash Cash gives offering in nimipuutímt (Nez Perce) 8:39 Indigenous oral history as a knowledge system 10:13 Introduction to Simnasho Representative Carlos Calica 10:37 Bigfoot as a caretaker 11:28 Carlos Calica gives a song offering in Warm Springs 13:11 “Bigfoot is a belief system” 13:42 Bigfoot reminding humans of their relationship to the land 17:18 Nchi Tamánwit, the Big Law 18:45 Carlos Calica gives a plate offering in Warm Springs 19:33 Acosia Red Elk and Loveda Elk finishing dress 20:32 Toma Villa finishes his mask 21:07 Everything comes together: Bigfoot dance 23:05 End credits For more histories from the Pacific Northwest https://www.opb.org/show/oregonexperi... --- Oregon Public Broadcasting aims to elevate and amplify the community, connect Oregon and its neighbors, and illuminate a wider world through stories. OPB Every Day. OPB Everywhere. One way to support OPB and the work of public media is to subscribe to our channel for new OPB videos every month: https://www.youtube.com/opb?sub_confi... Member support makes all the videos on the OPB YouTube channel possible, and everything else you love. Ensure the next important story is covered and join in as a Sustainer now at https://www.opb.org/give/?s=OAMEGNW26... #oregonexperience #oregonhistory #bigfoot #Sasquatch #yeti #Istiyehe #OPB #Oregon #pacificnorthwest