Little Eagle Bigfoot

One of the most concentrated series of sightings of a non-Pacific Northwest Bigfoot-type creature seen on a Native American reservation took place in South Dakota.

Let us revisit this group of accounts, today, while I’m still out-in-the-field. I’m blogging remotely, when not stuck in a bog somewhere.

Janet and Colin Bord looked at these earlier 1977 Bigfoot sightings, which occurred among the Sioux at Little Eagle, South Dakota.

Over the space of a few months, 28 sightings of Bigfoot were reported, and the Bords reference the accounts in their 2006 edition of Bigfoot Casebook Updated. They looked to the work of Mark A. Hall, noted in his “Contemporary Stories of Taku-He‚ or Bigfoot‚ in South Dakota as Drawn from Newspaper Accounts,” The Minnesota Archaeologist, 37(2): 63-78 (May 1978), and his The Yeti, Bigfoot & True Giants, to organize their data in a helpful timeline.

Hall and the Bords have shared with us a good overview of this First Nation’s interaction with Bigfoot over thirty years ago via the following chronology:

9 Aug. 1977 / Green Grass, SD / Three policemen / At 3 am saw by spotlight 6-7-ft hairy ape-like creature moving in creek bottom. / Eagle Butte News 18 Aug. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.65.

Mid Aug. 1977 / Nr Grand River, nr Little Eagle, SD / Todd Alexander (12), Chad Alexander (9) / Saw ‘long hairy legs’ in bushes / Mobridge, SD, Tribune, 3 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.65.

Mid Aug. 1977 / Along Grand River at Little Eagle, SD / Craig Two Hearts (16) / Saw Bigfoot / Richard Boeth & Elaine Sciolino, ‘Bigfoot is Back,’ Newsweek 31 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.65.

Summer 1977 / Around Spearfish, SD / Betty Johnson & daughters Brenda, Bonnie & Becky / Saw two Bigfeet in cornfield eating corn, one 7-8 ft tall and black, the other smaller with brownish-red body and black face; whistled / Letter to editor of Eagle Butte, SD, News 20 Oct. 1977 from Pauline Johnson, noted Hall(l) p.65.

Summer 1977 / Red Scaffold, SD / Young girl / While at home alone, was frightened by ‘foul-smelling, hairy creature’ / Eagle Butte, SD, News 18 Aug. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.65.

Mid Sept. 1977 / Nr Little Eagle, SD / Chris Howiatow & others /’Big ape’ watched them from hillside as they checked cattle; then ran into brush as they approached / McLaughlin, SD, Messenger 20 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.66; see also Bonnie Lake,’Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.28.

Mid Sept. 1977 / Nr Cannonball River, ND / Paul Monzelowsky & son / Chased 8-9-ft Bigfoot in pickup truck. It ran ‘as fast as a horse’ and leapt across creek / Richard Boeth & Elaine Sciolino,’Bigfoot is Back,’ Newsweek 31 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.66; see also Bonnie Lake,’Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.29.

28 Sept. 1977 / E of Little Eagle, SD / Nancy Chasing Hawk, Esther Thundershield, Myron Fast Horse / After hearing howling outside, turned on truck lights and saw tall, hairy animal with green eyes run into brush / Worthington, MN, Globe 4 Oct. 1977 & Pierre, SD, Capital Journal 6 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.66.

Sept. 1977 / Little Eagle, SD / LeMar Chasing Hawk / Saw eft Bigfoot in bushes; ran home / Bismarck, ND, Tribune 26 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.71; see also Bonnie Lake, ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.28.

6 Oct. 1977 / N of Little Eagle, SD / Phoebe Little Dog / Saw Bigfoot / Pierre, SD, Capital Journal 17 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.66.

13 Oct. 1977 / SE of Little Eagle, SD / Cecilia Thundershield, Dan Uses Anew, Albert Dog / First two witnesses saw Bigfoot come from woods, and they fetched Dog who saw it re-enter woods. It had long arms almost to knees and walked slouched over / Sioux Falls, SD, Argus-Leader 15 Oct. 1977 & McLaughlin, SD, Messenger 20 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) pp.66-7; see also Bonnie Lake, ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.31.

13 Oct. 1977 / N of Little Eagle, SD / Phoebe Little Dog / Saw Bigfoot in cattle pasture, same place as her c.6 Oct. sighting / Pierre, SD, Capital Journal 17 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.67; see also Bonnie Lake, ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.31.

22 Oct. 1977 / Along the Grand River, Corson County, SD / Four men on horseback / Saw Bigfoot basking in sun; it ran away and they could not find it / Timber Lake, SD, Topic 27 Oct. 1977 & 10 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.67.

25 Oct. 1977 / Nr Grand River Bridge, Little Eagle, SD / Alwin Ducheneaux / Saw Bigfoot in his headlights around midnight / Bonnie Lake, ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.31.

29 Oct. 1977 / Elkhorn Buttes, N-E of Little Eagle, SD / Verdell Veo (police officer), Jeff Veo (15), another teenage son & officers Bobby Gates & Selvin Arlen / Saw Bigfoot by moonlight and men followed it. Pursuit ended as they had no weapons against Bigfeet 8-9 ft tall (see ch.8)/ Timber Lake, SD, Topic 3 Nov. 1977, & Worthington, MN, Globe 8 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.67; see also Bonnie Lake, ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.69.

Late Oct. 1977 / Little Eagle, SD / Irene Village Center / Saw Bigfoot in marshy brush / Bonnie Lake, ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.72.

Autumn 1977 / Nr La Plant, SD / Melvin Garreaux / Saw Bigfoot; tracks found / McLaughlin, SD, Messenger 6 Oct. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.69.

Autumn 1977 / Little Eagle, SD / Hanna Shooting Bear / At night, saw Bigfoot near a mobile home (see ch.8) / Mobridge, SD, Tribune
3 Nov. 1977, noted Hall (/) pp.69-71; see also BAOTC p.93.

Autumn 1977 / Standing Rock Reservation, SD / Mr. & Mrs. Waiter Chasing Hawk / While driving at night, saw green eyes in lights. Thinking it was a deer, Chasing Hawk got out with rifle, but saw 8-ft Bigfoot. Police found nothing when they searched / Worthington, MN, Globe 8 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.71.

Autumn 1977 / Grand River, Little Eagle, SD / Mrs. Angus Long Elk / Saw Bigfoot by river / Bismarck, ND, Tribune 26 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.71.

5 Nov. 1977 / Nr Little Eagle, SD / Verdell Veo (police officer), Gary Alexander & others / Surrounded Bigfoot, but it escaped after chase of several hours (see ch.8) / Timber Lake, SD, Topic

10 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.67; see also Bonnie Lake ‘Bigfoot on the Buttes; The Invasion of Little Eagle,’ UFO Report vo1.5 no.6 p.71.

13 Nov. 1977 / N of Little Eagle, SD / Male driver / Saw Bigfoot on road and drove into ditch / Timber Lake, SD, Topic 10 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.69.

23 Nov. 1977 / Little Eagle, SD / About 12 women & children / Held campfire party to lure Bigfoot; two seen crouching in brush / Bismarck, ND, Tribune 26 Nov. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.69.

3 Dec. 1977 / Elkhorn Buttes, N-E of Little Eagle, SD / Gary Alexander, Lowell Olson, Keith Olson / Watched two Bigfeet for 3 mins; one was 8-8 1/2 ft tall and dark, the other a foot shorter / Timber Lake, SD, Topic 15 Dec. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.69.

5 Dec. 1977 / Elkhorn Buttes, N-E of Little Eagle, SD / Verdell Veo (police officer)/ Saw 2 Bigfeet / Timber Lake, SD, Topic 15 Dec. 1977, noted Hall(l) p.69.

Winter 1977 / N-W of Little Eagle, SD / Gary Alexander & others / Saw two Bigfeet while snowmobiling; they looked but did not run / Bismarck, ND, Tribune 7 Jan. 1978, noted Hall(l) p.71.

The series gives much food for thought about the existence of Sasquatch in various locations in North America, and the possible role of migration in Bigfoot movement and appearances.

Loren Coleman About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct). Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015. Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

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