Guardian of the Land

Indigenous Peoples of the Nch’i-Wána, or Columbia River, know Bigfoot not as a monster but as a protector, a spiritual being that walks between the seen and unseen.

For thousands of years, oral histories of Bigfoot have been passed down as a knowledge system, rooting Pacific Northwest tribes in respect, reverence and relationship with the land. Amidst mainstream portrayals of Bigfoot, this film offers instead an Indigenous perspective on the world’s most famous cryptid—as a relative rather than myth.

Featuring the lived experiences of world champion jingle dancer Acosia Red Elk, artist Toma Villa, tribal council member Carlos Calica and anthropologist Phil Cash Cash.