Enter among the shamans

From this impasse, a new generation of Bigfoot theorists has emerged in North America. They are taking a fresh approach. They take their cues from naturalist Dian Fossey—who was portrayed in the 1988 film "Gorillas in the Mist." They advocate encountering Bigfoot on its own terms and in its own environment. If Muhammad can't come to the mountain, then the mountain must come to Muhammad. Such researchers have adopted an alternative view of what kind of creature Bigfoot is. As ufology columnist Bret Lueder put it:

"These researchers discovered that Bigfoot is a different kind of human being who possesses advanced intelligence and psychic abilities and exists in multiple dimensions" (Lueder, p. 121).

Two examples of this trend are Thom Cantrall from Oregon, whose folk style can be discerned from the title of his semi-fictional book "The Ghosts of Ruby Ridge" (2008), and White Song Eagle (yes, that's a name, not a pseudonym! - note Iv.), who described his own Bigfoot encounters in "Teluke: A Personal Account" from the same year.

The most recognized representative is Kewaunee (AKA John) Lapseritis, a "holistic medicine consultant and Master Herbalist." He offers his own version of how Bigfoot should be understood. As he told Lueder, "Don't forget, they can read your mind, so you'll never get proof" (Lueder, p. 122).

In the eyes of some (including the author himself), this approach is a bit too New Zealandic. The split reached critical mass twenty-five years ago. The Department of Anthropology in Washington, D.C., joined the International Cryptozoological Society to organize a symposium on Sasquatch. One of the speakers was Lapseritis, and his presence provoked a negative reaction, including from Rene Dahinden, a veteran Bigfoot hunter.

If such publicists can be seen as akin to UFO contactees—with all the automatic disbelief that entails—then we might be more sympathetic. We might see them as modern-day shamans—chosen individuals who venture into the wilderness to commune with deities in an altered state of consciousness and then describe the experience to their fellow tribesmen. At least, that's how they like to be perceived. They're also right about Bigfoot being indirect.