A government file labeled “Sasquatch.” A fake law citation. A taped strand of “hair.” In this episode of Into the Archives, the Washington State Archives reveal how a legendary forest being found its way into official state records. Through archivists, historians and Indigenous perspectives, the story moves from Coast Salish traditions to the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film and the rise of American Bigfoot culture. Along the way are hoaxes, laws, festivals and environmental anxieties — all preserved on paper. The episode doesn’t ask whether Sasquatch exists. It asks what happens when mystery collides with government, pop culture and Indigenous knowledge — and what those records say about the people who created them.Sources for this episode:* Oregon Public Broadcasting* Bigfoot Field Research Organization* Salish Sasquatch* Skamania County Sasquatch Protection* The Lore Lodge* Wild Assault

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Rachel La Corte's 2013 story about the state archives doubling as a fallout shelterOSOS Legacy Washington's websiteJohn C. Hughes's interview on TVW's Inside Olympia

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tvwstories.substack.com