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Sasquatch and the Natives of North-Eastern Washington State

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:32 pm
by admin
Sasquatch and the Natives of North-Eastern Washington State...
The Skanicum (Sasquatch) was known to often steal dried salmon from the Indians in this area. Skanicum is known to live only in caves. He places willows over the door.
Vince, a 30-year-old member of the Lake Band and a friend of this author, reports that as a small boy his grandfather, who was a Blue Jay, took him far up on Moses Mountain to see Skanicum. He was told to be very quiet and he would see them. He did see Skanicum close up and reports "he was Huge" He knows of a cave going deep into the mountain that is reported to be a home of Skanicum. He has been inside the opening which he states is squared and smooth, appears to have been worked on with tools, and was covered with tree branches. Inside is a strong Skanicum stench. He was afraid to go further into the cave.
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Laura reports that some years ago she shot a deer not far from Nespelem. Being alone at the time and unable to load it into her car, she returned the next morning with her grandson. Several Skanicum were on the scene. One, a female, was standing just alongside the road and never moved as Laura drove by her, getting a good look at her. She looked human, was about six feet tall, her body covered with long brown hair, had a sloping forehead with ears that appeared to be pulled upward. Arriving at the deer carcass they found that the liver had been removed, as had the tender parts of both rear flanks. The skin had been carefully rolled from the hindquarters; the meat was very clean (she reiterates and emphasizes how clean the meat was). She and her grandson left the carcass as they found it and left the area. Laura states that there are areas just south of Nespelem and about two miles north of the Columbia River where she can call Skanicum (in his language, she knows how) and he will answer. She believes that they live in the area. At one time she encountered a large male Skanicum on the highway near Nespelem. It tried to converse with her, making organized sounds, leaving her to believe that they have a language. She left quickly.
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Among the Wenatchee Tribe, Sasquatch was known as Choanito, which in their language, means "NIGHT PEOPLE".
In the fall of the year, October, a group of male members of the Wenatchee Tribe were on a hunting trip near Wenatchee Lake. One of the men became separated from the rest of the party and was captured by Choanito. He was taken to a cave far up in the Rocky Mountains and held captive by a family of Choanitos through the winter until spring. The odor in the cave was terrible. They would not take him out hunting with them but made him remain in camp near the cave with the women. They were like a different tribe of Indians. In the spring they returned him to where they had captured him. Upon returning to his camp he was immediately recognized by the children who couldn't believe that he was back as he had been gone for so long. They thought that he had been killed. He had been well treated by Choanito.
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Margie, an Anglo woman married and living on the reservation since 1984, reports that recently she and her mother-in-law had dug camas-roots, which they placed on the roof of their trailer near Nespelem Creek, where animals could not get at them. During the night her mother-in-law heard Choanito on the roof. In the morning the camas-roots were gone and Choanito had put her puppy up on the roof. Choanito is still very active in the area. At night lights can be seen moving along the base of a nearby mountain as a pack of them travel along, and many have been reported on Keller Butte. People are always warned to be out of the mountains before dark.