Christopher Noël on Sasquatch DNA and a Dead Bigfoot

View slideshow: Christopher Noel on ‘Sasquatch Rising 2013 Dead Giants Tell No Tales’

CN: My prime motivation is to help spread the word about the existence and nature of Sasquatch. The Ketchum DNA study is just one of several developments that are all converging in 2013 to make this year a watershed moment in the history of science, and of humankind’s conception of itself as the pre-eminent species on Earth. Ketchum has reportedly found that Sasquatch is the result of ancient interbreeding between female Homo sapiens and males of another primate species, thus far unidentified.

2. When it comes to the Melba Ketchum DNA study I have been a witness of a lot of the drama in the Bigfoot community regarding her study. Why so much conflict over something that should be really uplifting and which really is a breakthrough to many?

CN: I think there are three factors that contribute to this rough reception:

a) Melba is a woman from the South (even in this day and age, southerners are looked down on by mainstream intellectuals, and women are looked down on, as well, by a cross-section of society still infected by misogyny; especially when it comes to history-making breakthroughs, a southern woman is not “supposed to” hold the key

b) She is a “mere” veterinarian (even though she has been a professional geneticist for twenty-five years and has published in this field in peer-reviewed journals)

c) She has not handled the roll-out of her results in a very professional manner, choosing to break the news first via a Facebook post

3.Could you tell us about the Texas homicide and why you think open season may be declared on Bigfoot exactly? Are you referring to Justin Smeja and if so how do you feel about that case as well?

CN: The Texas homicide is a “homicide” in the sense that a Sasquatch is in the genus Homo and Rick Dyer shot and killed a male Sasquatch on September 6th, 2012. An “open season” may result because (human nature being what it is) others will want to copy what Dyer has done; the blood bath will spread and intensify unless laws are passed against the slaughter of this species. I am not referring to the Justin Smeja incident, because that occurred two years before the Texas homicide. I am referring to a very dark potential future.

4. In your own perspective and beliefs in Bigfoot why are they so trickster-like and cunning? Are they flesh and blood or do you think they have paranormal attributes of any kind? I am just trying to figure out how they have eluded mankind for so long. What is a Bigfoot in your opinion exactly?

CN: Sasquatch are both human and “other”—a blend. I do not know if they are only flesh and blood, but I know they are at least flesh and blood; otherwise, they could not be killed and filmed. In terms of their extreme cunning, this is an absolute necessity for them. Before the case was closed, I used to tell people this: There are two possibilities and two only. Either Sasquatch does not exist—in which case all such Native American lore, and all the tens of thousands of eyewitness reports (many of which are submitted anonymously, out of fear of ridicule) are false—or Sasquatch does exist, and if it does exist, then it can only have managed to survive alongside our own very domineering and warlike species by being far, far more stealthy than we can possibly imagine. A hundred times more so than the finest ninja. If even one of the first-hand reports is true, then probably most are true, because it means Sasquatch is real.

5. What are some things that Bigfoot do to get humans’ attention? And why do they want the attention of humans exactly?

CN: Sasquatch brains are perhaps twice as large as ours, and yet they don’t use their brains to build cities, write symphonies and books, design computers or other sophisticated machines. Instead, they devote their gray matter to just a few vital concerns, which include:

a) memorizing every square inch of their territory so that they can be immediately aware of the smallest changes that may signal a threat; this is why trail cameras, and other such tricks, almost never work

b) memorizing the habits and routines of the local humans, down to the smallest nuances; keeping close tabs on us allows them to have the best of eluding us

c) scouting around to find interesting and stimulating interactions with some humans at what we have come to call “habituation sites,” which are what my book focuses on.

It is true that Sasquatch would stand a much better chance of not being known by us if they would simply stop visiting us, peeking in our houses, tapping on our windows, banging on our walls, mimicking our voices, wood-knocking in our forests, etc.. But I think they find us irresistible, especially the juveniles and young males do, and especially with our children and women. Partly, this is because of the sheer thrill of danger, of transgressing the ancient taboo against such interaction, and partly it’s because we are the only other “animal” in their class, with whom they can vigorously match wits. People at habituation sites report many forms of indirect, or symbolic, communication—the exchange of food and gifts, the back-and-forth alteration of stick and rock structures, etc. My book devotes hundreds of pages to this kind of game-playing, as well as to certain darker, more intimidating aspects of the relationship.

It may even be that some Sasquatch are conducting numerous similar games with various households in a given area—each person probably assuming that she or he alone is thus blessed with an invisible playmate—like a chess grand master who is able to test their mettle against dozens of opponents simultaneously; in this manner, such periodic partners could remain engaged and mentally stimulated while making the rounds, a constantly moving target, distributing and diminishing the risk.

Many habituators attempt to read specific messages in the configurations they find on their property, and some reliable translation might eventually be possible. At this early point in our understanding, though, we might prefer to accept each new manifestation as a good-humored gift that means simply, “I acknowledge you.”

6.Could you share one of the most fascinating encounters with Bigfoot from your book?

CN: I have so much material that I’ll have to choose just one small category of Sasquatch behavior out of dozens. I’ll choose mimicry. Here are a few excerpts from various locations I have studied. These accounts are in the habituators’ own words:

North Carolina:
“They imitate my son, and say, “Mom!” loudly, they can sound just like him. I thought he was playing tricks, until they did it when I was here alone, and then when he was with me talking to me.”

Oklahoma:
“On many occasions one of the kids will be outside and come running in asking, “Did you call me?” I have been working in the gardens or sitting outside and have heard a child’s voice call, “Mom.” It sounds just like one of my kids. This has happened many times over the years when I was home alone. They are known to knock on houses both day and night. Why they do this is anyone’s guess. I suspect it’s a form of communication, checking for a reaction.”

Iowa:
“They mimic our voices too, all the time, to mess with us. The grandkids’ll say, ‘We heard you hollering for us,’ and I’ll say, ‘Oh…yeah.’ Again, I don’t want to scare them.”

Texas, location #1:
“They imitate my mom and say ‘Rachel’ all the time. They will act like they are my dogs crying far away and as soon I get far far away looking for the dog they say ‘Rachel’ back at the house, my mom’s voice. Then when I get to the house my mom’s not home, then they make the dog noise again, making me run back over and over till I give up. Just the other night, someone was mimicking my little brother calling for the dog. We hear that a lot.”

Texas, location #2:
“Then there was the voice trick. The girls would be at school and I would hear, ‘Mom!’ from the woods. And I’d think, That couldn’t be the girls because they’re at school. But often, you know, it would be so real I would go and check just to see if maybe they got a ride home from school because they were sick? But we had to sign them out…Or they’d be at home and come inside: ‘What do you want?’ And I’d say, ‘What are you talking about?’ So you know, these Forest People were imitating me and imitating them. I think they’d just sit up in the trees or whatever and that was their entertainment. Watch this one, watch this one. Like a prank.”

7.For those who still don’t believe in Bigfoot what kind of unique evidence can you tell us about that you have come across in your research? And of course I most assuredly believe.

CN: The habituation site that I call “Texas #2” has been by far the most fruitful, in terms of direct evidence. I shot thermal footage of a Sasquatch here in 2008, which you can see on YouTube under the title “Woodpile Sasquatch.” (This footage will be featured on “Finding Bigfoot” in the upcoming Texas episode.) I have also heard numerous middle-of-the-night wood knocks here, some of which are featured in YouTube: “Typical Night Sounds: Texas Habituation Site.”

8. Could you go into some of the most convincing Bigfoot photos you have seen and or videos of actual Bigfoot? I’m always looking at pictures or videos and never see anything. What are some that I can really look at and go WOW in your opinion?

CN: Of course, the Patterson/Gimlin Film is 100% legitimate, as are many of the videos authenticated by Facebook/FindBigfoot. In terms of photos, there are many genuine ones, including the 2009 Jacobs Creature images. But all of this material will soon become obsolete, eclipsed by the Minnow Films footage shot in San Antonio on September 6th, 2012. This footage is due to be released in early March, at the South By Southwest Film Festival.

9. Would you go into Sasquatch vocalizations with us and how they communicate and what do you think about them using telepathy?

CN: Linguist Scott Nelson has been analyzing Sasquatch speech for the past four years, and he is in a much better position to discuss this topic than I am. You can get a good introduction to his work on YouTube: “Sasquatch Vocalizations: Clips from the Berry/Morehead Recordings”; “Sasquatch Language 1: Scott Nelson and Ron Morehead Interviewed August 15th, 2011”; and “Sasquatch Language 2: Scott Nelson Interviewed January 18th, 2012.”
In terms of telepathy, I never used to believe this was possible until one June morning in 2011, when something happened at Texas #2 that changed my outlook completely. It was the most remarkable moment of my life, which I cover in the Epilogue of my book. This Epilogue, thirty pages long, focuses exclusively on my experience with Sasquatch telepathy, and I’d rather not try to summarize all of that in a brief answer here. It will take humankind much longer to accept and comprehend this powerful phenomenon than to embrace the very existence of Sasquatch itself.

10. Also what are you up to next project or book-wise and any links or departing words you’d like to share with us?

CN: I have begun putting together an anthology entitled How Sasquatch Matters: Writers Respond to the New Natural Order. For the next year to two, I will gather high-quality writing on the meaning of this discovery, until I have enough. I want this book to illuminate some of the many ramifications of Sasquatch’s existence, allowing readers to fully appreciate this historical turning point—like the moon landing only better, because instead of finding a barren new world, we’re discovering our own planet all over again.

About the Author

Christopher Noël holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Yale and taught writing and literature for twenty years at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. He is the author of four other books of nonfiction and fiction, including the acclaimed memoir, IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A WATER LANDING: A GEOGRAPHY OF GRIEF, and a forthcoming collection of stories, DOCTOR WHITE’S MONKEY. A freelance editor and writing mentor (ChristopherNoel.Info), Noël is currently accepting submissions for an anthology, HOW SASQUATCH MATTERS: WRITERS RESPOND TO THE NEW NATURAL ORDER. You can send work for consideration or just drop him a line: [email protected]. Noël lives with his daughter in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.