The Sasquatch of Harrison
The word 'sasquatch' comes from a valley in British Columbia, where the Stó:lō people tell of a hairy giant of the forest.
What was reported
The Stó:lō and other Coast Salish peoples of British Columbia have long told of sásq'ets, a large, hairy, human-like being that lives in the mountains and forests. In the 1920s, a schoolteacher named J.W. Burns, working on a reserve near Harrison Lake, collected stories and popularised the name 'sasquatch'.
Harrison Hot Springs now calls itself the sasquatch capital of the world, with a sasquatch museum, festivals and a provincial park named after the creature. Reports of sightings and footprints continue.
Explanations offered
No body, bones or clear evidence has been found. Sceptics suggest bears, people and folklore; supporters point to the vast, little-explored forests of the region. For many Coast Salish people, sásq'ets is a spiritual being rather than an animal to be caught.
- When
- Named in the 1920s
- Where
- Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada
- Witnesses
- Stó:lō people, residents and visitors
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.