Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 4 8 On the Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project, several guests share their first- hand encounters. Some are frightening, such as when Craig Falcon, whose Blackfeet name is Night Gun, threw open the curtains at his cabin in East Glacier and was face-to-face with the enormous visage of Bigfoot looking at him through the window when he was three or four years old. The next morning, he says, there were tracks around the house and his father and others followed the tracks, which led behind Glacier Park Lodge and toward Danc- ing Woman Mountain, until the snow was chest-deep. Many years later, during a hunting trip, Falcon says, he watched as a tall object that at first appeared to be a tree suddenly stood up and walked into the woods. Other stories show a helpful, even noncorporeal side to Imoiitapi. In the mid-1970s, Lynda Beaudry and friends spun out on black ice on Highway 89 near Kiowa Camp while heading to a basketball game and ended up with the front of the car firmly planted in the ditch. Lynda asked Imoiitapi for help. Afterwards, a tiny woman barely leaned on the front of the car, somehow extricating it despite numerous previous unsuccessful attempts during which the vehicle didn't budge. Seeing signs of Imoiitapi, or even Imoiitapi himself, resonates very deeply with many people. He is a touchstone; the encounters are often lessons as well as enthralling stories. This relationship between the natural world and an often unseen yet ever-present realm is an integral part of the Blackfeet culture. "We don't separate them. That's the way we believe our whole lives," says Carrie Lynn. Carrie Lynn and Lailani follow leads on where they might spot a Big- foot, along with looking for indications of his presence, including odd noises—and even screams—as well as tracks or structures built by the creatures that many of us might otherwise just walk past. These peculiar formations typically include trees pulled over to form a 'U' shape or criss- crossed in a structure almost resembling a tipi. In one video, Carrie Lynn points out that they like to leave an 'X' in different places; some squatch- ers believe these are possibly territorial markers. Many times it's all about soaking in the grandeur of the area. "We don't even care if we see if Bigfoot stuff or not. As long as we can be out in nature," says Carrie Lynn. "Every season has its own beauty." For these intrepid ladies, it might be a leisurely stroll on a beautiful summer day, or a tenuous outing at night in nearly subzero temperatures on icy, remote roads. But, whenever they can get together and head out in search of Bigfoot, they grab the opportunity to share this amazing country with others, giving people who couldn't otherwise see such places a front row experience. Some of their outings might give viewers chills, like when they are out in the dark and cold, listening for strange sounds in the night. "I like the spooky times," says Carrie Lynn. On the other hand, Lailani takes a more stoic approach, admitting that she does not always share the same sense that something is watching them. Although, admittedly, she frequently looks around—just to be sure. There is something to be said for having the guts to drive down the road to the Cut Bank Ranger Station in Glacier National Park when it's still very much winter in the area, listening and looking for a creature This relationship between the natural world and an often unseen yet ever-present realm is an integral part of the Blackfeet culture. Blackfoot legends say Bigfoot has roamed this area for centuries. Two Medicine Lake AMY GRISAK AMY GRISAK CARRIE LYNN BEAR CHIEF Lailani Upham perched on a rocky outcropping CONTINUED

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