COLORADO HISTORICAL SASQUATCH
TIME PERIOD: AD Historical-Present
AREA INVOLVED: San Juan River Drainage, Southern Ute Reservation
SOUTHERN UTE TRADITION
The Southern Ute, who currently occupy the Southern Ute Indian Reservation
in the south San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, have historical tribal
stories of "Giant Hairy man-beasts". These beasts are traditionally
said to inhabit the remote parts of the high elevation
forests. As with the Pueblo, the beasts are feared and many think
that they could be spirit beings, though many contemporary Utes are beginning
to believe that they are simply normal animals that look like giant men
covered with hair. Historical accounts are mostly oral, though some
of
the pictographs in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado that
look like big men are interpreted by the local Native Americans as man-beasts
and not pictographs of man. Many of the Ute living in the area at
present are still reporting sightings of giant hairy man-beasts while hunting
in the deep forest areas on and near the reservation. These Ute men are
experienced hunters, very familiar with the natural fauna, and are sure
they are not mistaking bears or other animals for the man-beasts.
A current hot-spot of man-beast activity is in the high forests, west of
the Piedra River, east of the city of Ignacio and south of Hwy. 160, though
they also say that sightings could occur about anyplace where the forest
is dense in the mountains of the general
area.
Credit given to Colorado BFRO member Keith Foster : KFoster@bfro.net
Uploaded to the BFRO Database by: Dawn Harrack <Dawn@BFRO.net> and Matt M. <Matt@BFRO.net>.