Exploring Bigfoot's Cultural History and Modern Belief

So there's this podcast crossover that just dropped on YouTube, and honestly, it's one of the more refreshing Bigfoot conversations to come out in a while. AAA's VIA podcast — which is normally a road trip show exploring weird and wonderful destinations across the western United States — decided to dedicate an entire episode to everyone's favorite forest-dwelling hominid. And they brought in Laura Krantz, the journalist behind the Wild Thing podcast and author of the kids' book "The Search for Sasquatch," to lead the discussion. The episode kicks off with a pretty striking stat from a 2025 YouGov survey: 28% of Americans believe Bigfoot probably or definitely exists. That's nearly one in three people. Belief is apparently on the rise, and the hosts spend some time unpacking why that might be. Laura herself falls into a fascinating middle ground — she loves the idea of Bigfoot and would jump on the bandwagon the moment someone produces a body or even a piece of one. She's open, but she's also waiting for hard evidence. One of the hosts admits she's a "no" purely out of fear (which is fair, honestly), while another believes Bigfoot is out there but has zero interest in looking for it. The spectrum of belief on display here is really something. What makes this conversation stand out is how it digs into the indigenous roots of the Sasquatch legend. The name itself comes from the coastal Salish tribe, an indigenous group running along the northwest coast of the U.S. and into Canada. Laura explains that Native American and First Nations tribes have been talking about Bigfoot-like creatures for centuries — long before European descendants ever set foot in the western U.S. The lore varies by tribe too. Some tell of Sasquatch as a trickster figure, others as something to be wary of, and some even describe the creature as a helper who might assist you if you get into trouble in the woods. The Quinnel tribe in Washington State and the Quaquakeiwok tribe in Canada's First Nations areas both have rich traditions around these stories, often using them as teaching tools about awareness and respect for the wilderness. The episode also traces the modern Bigfoot phenomenon back to 1958, when a logger named Jerry Crew reported finding giant 16-inch footprints near his logging site in Bluff Creek, California — deep in the Six Rivers National Forest. That story is what gave Bigfoot his name, courtesy of the local newspaper. Of course, the whole thing eventually unraveled as a decades-long hoax, with Ray Wallace confessing on his deathbed. But the legend had already taken root by then. Then there's the Patterson-Gimlin film from 1967, which Laura credits as the real catalyst for Bigfoot's explosion into pop culture. That brief clip of a large, hairy figure walking through a clearing in the Six Rivers National Forest — pausing mid-stride to glance back at the camera — became the defining image. Kids who saw it previewing movies in the summer of '67 grew up, built brands, and kept the legend alive. Now Bigfoot is on snacks, billboards, and yes, even Sasquatch-themed deodorant for kids. One of the more interesting tangents involves a researcher Laura interviewed years ago who estimated the Bigfoot population at around 2,500 individuals. The math was based on black bear population data — assuming Sasquatch is a similarly sized animal with a similar diet, you'd need that many to maintain a viable breeding population. It's the kind of wildlife biology approach that treats the subject seriously rather than as pure folklore. Laura also touches on the more out-there theories — the idea that Bigfoot might be a multidimensional being, brought here by aliens, capable of time travel. She doesn't dismiss it, but she notes that if you apply the laws of physics and biology, you'd need a whole lot of them out there, not just one. The tone throughout is genuinely curious and respectful. Nobody's mocking anybody else's beliefs, and the hosts are clearly fascinated by the cultural staying power of the Sasquatch legend. It's the kind of conversation that reminds you why this topic has endured for so long — it sits at the intersection of folklore, science, fear, wonder, and the deeply human desire to believe there's still something wild and unknown out there. Definitely worth checking out the full episode. It's a solid listen for anyone who's ever stood at the edge of a dark forest and wondered.