So the word olech comes from a brute the verb like oleach

which means to run away but specifically to run away from home.

Oh okay that because it's not that these beings were once like

community members who were like outcasts whether they are kicked out of the community or

whether they you know left of their own accord I'm not sure and I'm sure it's different for you know depending on who you ask yeah

but there they were once people who when they ran away and like hid in the mountains or the forests

turned into these kind of like wild creatures and yeah kind of changed into those

beings so that o'lach that to run away is referencing them running away from their village.

That was Derek Shaya and in this episode I talked to Derek and Angela Gonzalez about the cultural importance of

Sasquatch.

Derek works at the Aleutic Museum in Kodiak and Angela is an Athabaskan artist and writer.

Derek's perspective is of coastal Alaska.

He says that the Aleutic people call Sasquatch or Bigfoot creatures Olok, and its temperament

ranges from being a threat to being a menace, to being used as a cautionary tale. For example, parents might use stories of

Olok to warn their children away from dangerous areas. And stories of its appearance vary. Some describe it as tall, while others describe it as

short. But it's always hairy, and many believe it to be a shapeshifter.

Angela's perspective is of Interior Alaska.

Growing up, she says that talking about Bigfoot was taboo, but that there are certain times

of the year, mainly winter, when it's appropriate to talk about it.

Bigfoot is a powerful being, so it's important to give it a lot of respect.

While the curious might seek out stories of Bigfoot, others will avoid them out a fear of inviting that presence into their life.

Angela says that it comes down to respecting the land, the animals, and the water, because in order to survive, we must live in harmony with our surroundings.

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