In many cases in the recent history of the bigfoot field, there have been repeated attempts to link the sasquatch or bigfoot to other Native American myths and legends in addition to those normally associated with the sasquatch legend. One such case is the linking on the Internet specifically, of the Wendigo or Witigo legends to the history of the hairy bipeds believed by some to roam the forests of North America. The Wendigo, also known as the Witigo, Witiko, Wee-tee-go or Ithaqua, is generally related to the Algonquin legends of the east and northern area of the US, the Midwest and Canada. The general translation of Wendigo is usually attributed to the German explorer Kohl who translated it as “cannibal” among the tribes of the Great Lakes area.

The general description of the Wendigo does not match that of the alleged species referred to as sasquatch, in either physical appearance or demeanor. The description of the Wendigo is that of the spirit of cannibalism. Wendigo was once a human and transformed by dark magic into an anthropophagus, or human flesh eating, entity. There is some variation in the general description of the Wendigo from that of a blood flecked, twisted, and fanged entity, to that of an actual spirit in the sense that it inhabits the souls of men. The majority of them describe a tall, lanky and extremely thin creature, possibly as a reflection of the extreme hunger that drives its evil nature. Hardly something that can normally be associated with the usual description of the sasquatch legend.

Some descriptions of the Wendigo’s nature reflects an outright disdain and malignance toward humankind, based mostly on the unacceptable act of cannibalism that transforms the person into the Wendigo and the lost humanity that one can never regain. It is believed by some tribes that as it ages the more powerful or shamanistic a Wendigo becomes. Its powers include weather control such as storms, and the ability to summon other animals to them, such as ravens and bears. The Wendigo was taken so seriously as a threat that Jack Fiddler thought to be infected with the Wendigo spirit, stood trial for the murder of someone in the early part of the 19th century.

So how did the Wendigo become associated with the sasquatch? One possible explanation is the impact of modern culture such as Marvel Comics whose version of the Wendigo appeared in the December 1973 issue of The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1 #162). The creature seen in this version is tall, muscular and looks similar to the general description of a sasquatch. By contrast, years later, Marvel Comics included a Wendigo storyline in a Spider-Man comic that was closer to the original intent of the Wendigo spirit as a man-eating entity (Amazing Spider-Man #277). Even the movies associated with the Wendigo have portrayed it as anything but a sasquatch-like creature. The movie Ravenous (1999) depicts a cannibalistic nature among the people infected by the Wendigo spirit, while the movie Wendigo shows a deer-headed creature representing a spirit of the forest.

In our zeal to attribute Native American legends to our search or interest in sasquatch, can other native legends be far behind? Several will eventually fit the bill, from the Gou-gou of Henry Hudson’s tale, to the manitous. They are a part of nearly all Native American legends across the continent in one form or another.

There are several people interested in sasquatch reports that sometimes attempt to add credibility to a report or story by adding the context of hearing it from a Native American, or person affiliated with distinct tribal cultures. This is often presented on the Internet in particular. One seems to have forgotten that even the name “sasquatch” is not a native word in itself, but an Anglicization of several native terms for the creature coined by J.W. Burns of British Columbia in the 1920’s.

Where does this ultimately lead research of sasquatch in reference to historical accounts? Only time will answer that. However, misinterpretation of the legends and myths of native cultures will not aid, but hinder, the research aspects overall.

References:
The Encyclopedia of Monsters by Daniel Cohen
Unexplained by Jerome Clark
Field Guide to North American Monsters by W. Blackman

Internet references:
Wikipedia
Ghosts of the Prairie
Wyrdology