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The Seattle Daily Times
July 16, 1924

Clue to "Gorilla Men" Found May be Lost Race of Giants

 

Clallam Indians tell of Eight-Foot Seeahtiks Who Killed Game
by Hypnotism Existence Kept Secret by Other Tribes

1924 -- Hoquiam, WA -- Wednesday July 16 "Mountain Devils discovered at Mount St. Helens near Kelso, are none other than the Seeahtik Tribe," said Jorg Totsgi, Clallam Tribe Editor of The Real American, an Indian national weekly publication in an interview here today. "Seeahtik" is a Clallam pronunciation. All other tribes pronounce it: "Seeahtkoh."

The Indians of the Northwest have kept the existence of the Seeahtiks a secret. Partly because they know no white man would believe them and the Indian, known for his honesty and truthfulness, does not like to be called a liar, and partly because the northwestern Indian is ashamed of the Seeahtik Tribe, said Totsgi.

"The "Mountain devils" or 'gorillas' who bombarded the prospectors' shack on Mount St. Helens, according to the description of the miners, are none other than the Seeahtik Tribe with whom every Indian in the Northwest is familiar," said Totsgi.

Were thought to be Extinct

The Seeahtiks were last heard of by the Clallam Indians about 15 years ago, and it was believed by the present day Indians, that they had become extinct. The Seeahtik Tribe make their home in the heart of the wilderness on Vancouver Island and also on the Olympic Range.

"As described by the Clallam Indians, the Seeahtiks are seven to eight feet tall. They have hairy bodies like the bear. They are great hypnotists, and kill their game by hypnotism. They also have a gift of ventriloquism, throwing their voices at great distances and can imitate any bird in the Northwest. They have a very keen sense of humor," Totsgi added.

"In the past generations they stole many Indian women and Indian babies. They lived entirely in the mountain, coming down to the shores only when they wanted a change of diet. The Quinaults claim they generally came once a year to the Quinault River, about fall. The Clallams say they favored the river area near Brinnon on Hood Canal. After having their fill of fresh salmon, they stole dried salmon from the Indian women.

"The Seeahtik Tribe are harmless if left alone. The Clallam Tribe, however, at one time several generations ago, killed a young man of the Seeahtik Tribe to their everlasting sorrow, for they killed off a whole branch of the Clallam Tribe but one, and he was merely left to tell the tale to the other Clallams up-Sound. The Clallam Indians believed that the Seeahtik Tribe had become extinct.

It is fifteen years since their tracks were last seen and recognized at the Brinnon River. Prior to that time, many Clallam Indians have met and talked with men of this strange tribe for the Seeahtiks talk the strange tongue of the Clallams, which is said to have originated from the bear tongue.

The Quinault Indians, however, claim that Fred Pope of the Quinault Tribe and George Hyasman of the Satsop Tribe were fishing about fifteen miles up the Quinault River in the month of September four years ago when they were visited by the Seeahtiks. The two Indians had caught a lot of steelhead trout, which they left in their canoe, and the Seeahtiks stole these.

Posses Hypnotic Power

Henry Napoleon of the Clallam Tribe is the only Indian who was ever invited to the home of the Seeahtik Tribe. It was while Napoleon was visiting relatives on the British Columbia coast about thirty years ago, [that would have made the year roughly 1895] that he met a Seeahtik while hunting.

The giant Indian then invited him to their home, which is in the very heart of the wilderness on Vancouver Island. Napolean claims they live in a large cave. He was treated with every courtesy and told some of their secrets. He claims that the giant Indians made themselves invisible by strange medicine that they rub over their bodies and that they had great hypnotic powers and the gift of ventriloquism.

Some Indians claim that during the process of evolution when the Indian was changing from animal to man, the Seeahtik did not fully absorb the tamanaweis or soul-power, and thus he became an anomaly in the process of evolution.

The Indians of the Northwest are of the belief that the "mountain devils" found at Mount St. Helens are the Seeahtik Indians as it is generally their custom to frighten persons who have displeased them by throwing rocks at them.

Seattle Times, 1924

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