When I was a police officer in northern Wisconsin in the mid 70s, I happend to assist an older Native American gentleman whose car had died in the street. He had been drinking a bit, so to help him out, I drove him back to his reservation home.

He recalled this, and he became my fast friend. He even took me to a pretty decent "Sacred" site on the reservation called the Spirit Rock. It looked like a flat altar style stone with what appeared to be blood grooves all around the table like circumfrence. But that's not my story.

One time, we were discussion legends and I happened to mention sas. This was over a beer and the old man's eyes glistened. He smiled and said: "You mean the guardian!"

His grandfather told him of a story of when the grandfather was a boy, where one of the village's trappers went out for a several week trap line traverse in the winter. The trapper never returned and was given up for lost. One night the dogs in the village set too and there was a terrible ruckus. The men rushed out into the night with lanterns and torches and found the trapper at the edge of the village, dead. It appeared he'd broken his leg and infection had set in and he'd died somewhere out on his trap line. The "Guardian" had found his body, and knowing that his village would wonder about him, he carried the body to the edge of the village and placed him there to be found in the morning. Unfortunately, the dogs inturrupted his visit and he had to escape into the night chased by dogs. The dogs returned later, foot sore and tired.

According to the story, the Guardian was a tall man, with footprints twice the size of any man and a stride that couldn't be matched by any of the men of the village. The grandfather told Ray that they never saw the Guardian ever. Only once in a while would they see his tracks as he came to the village in the night to observe. After that night, he was careful to stay on the down wind side so the dogs wouldn't know he was there.

Don't know what this story means, but it was fun to hear. This story was told to me by a man who would have been born in 1910 or about, and his grandfather would have been a boy himself. That puts the story in the 1860/70 time frame in far northern Wisconsin.

K

Great story thanks for sharing.

I love reading story like this. Thank you for sharing.

Hi Killian,

Thanks for the story. Since it occured in northern Wisconsin I am assuming that the gentleman was Anishinaabe (Ojibwa)? It is interesting because I have heard of the Sasquatch referred to as "the guardian of the forest" from the Anishinaabe where I am living (NW Ontario). I wonder what events etc. took place that the Sasquatch was subsequently named "the guardian" or "the guardian of the forest"? Any ideas?

Great story.

I once read an indian legend story about a far northern/ midwestern sasquatch they called the 'tall man with a little hat' who was supposed to be found in one particular area around a river, and who liked to eat children.

I sometimes wonder about the 'little hat'.

Sako

Glad you have heard that name as well. Yes, I'm under the impression he was Ojibwa or Ojibway as we called them. It was an interesting story and I rather liked talking to the old guy. I had to arrest him a couple times, the last being for a felony, but he never blamed me. He joked that I was the only white man who could have snuck up on him when he was poaching deer. But that's another story.

K

One other point of clarification. If I recall, this story occurred either in far northern Wisconsin, or in Canada where the Indian's family came from. I don't believe it was from the area where the conversation took place.

I also received a PM from a member and I tried to respond, but for some reason, it is not working. I just wanted to let the party know that I wasn't ignoring them.

K

Hi Killian,

Do you have a last name of the gentleman who told you the story? If you do, and willing to share it, I could probably figure out where his family was from, and if I know folk from the community, I may be able to get more information. Thanks.

I remember his name. On the other hand, I've already indicated I arrested him numerous times, once for a felony. I'm not sure I'd like to have his family find out I was referencing this on the internet, even though it was made public knowledge at the time of adjudication. Perhaps, if there is a history of this "Guardian" with he Ojibway people, that would suffice for further investigation. You see, this is not technically my story. It was just told to me.

Sorry.

K

Killian,

No problem.

I enjoyed the story as well. Tales of a BF like creature in Native American lore are of particular interest to me as I think they add a level of credence to the overall phenomena.

Not saying they are 100% factual to a tee. More of a preponderance of the evidence scenario for me.

"Little hat"=Sagittal crest?

Erik

The word is "Gilyuk" from the Nelchina. It means “Big-Man-With-Little-Hat". I have no idea why, but it's interesting!

I believe that the native American Indian having a knowlege of what a great ape looked like to them and it being in all native american indians fokelore and first nations people is the single best eveidence that these ceatures exsist!!!!!

great story,thanks . got any more?