Looking Through the Trees: an Anthropologist, a Museum, and the Sasquatch
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University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2018 Looking Through the Trees: An Anthropologist, a Museum, and the Sasquatch Carissa Kepner University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Anthropology Commons, and the Museum Studies Commons Recommended Citation Kepner, Carissa, "Looking Through the Trees: An Anthropologist, a Museum, and the Sasquatch" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1455. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1455 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Looking Through the Trees: An Anthropologist, a Museum, and the Sasquatch _______________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities University of Denver _______________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts ________________________________ by Carissa Kepner June 2018 Advisor: Dr. Christina Kreps ©Copyright by Carissa Kepner 2018 All Rights Reserved Author: Carissa Kepner Title: Looking Through the Trees: An Anthropologist, a Museum, and the Sasquatch Advisor: Dr. Christina Kreps Degree Date: June 2018 Abstract The Sasquatch is incredibly popular in American society. This project explores the impact of the Sasquatch phenomenon on those that live in and visit Bailey, Colorado. It focuses on how the Sasquatch Outpost museum contributes to this impact, especially through outdoor activities, visiting the museum, visiting the Outpost general store, and the sharing of sighting stories. This work takes an in-depth look at the concept of the amateur museum, or micromuseum, and how it can contribute to the larger museum world, particularly through the ideas of Outsider Art and serious leisure. By evaluating the processes, exhibits, and procedures of the Sasquatch Outpost a clearer picture of current amateur museum practices can be drawn. ii Table of Contents Introduction . .1 Chapter 2: Background . .9 Museums and Oddities . .22 Chapter 3: Literature Review . .28 Sasquatch and Native America. 28 The Beginnings of Cryptozoology . .30 The Beginnings of Focused Research. 31 New Tactics and Sasquatch Psychology. 35 Cultural Roles, Approaches, and the Dimensions of Social Research. 38 Critics . 42 Popular Sasquatch Books. .44 Museums and Oddities. 47 Chapter 4: Theoretical Framework and Research Methodology. 52 Research Questions . .66 Research Setting. .67 Methods for Data Collection. .69 Scope and Limitations. 76 Ethical Considerations. 77 Positionality . 78 Chapter 5: Findings . .82 Questionnaire Findings. 82 Visitor Attendance and Museum Dwell Time. .89 Coding Data. .91 Museum Events. .96 Sighting Stories. .100 Observations of the Procedures and Thought Processes of SORT. .102 Chapter 6: Analysis. 109 Considering the Communities. .120 Comparisons: Micromuseums and Professional Institutions. 125 Chapter 7: Conclusion. 149 Bibliography. .155 Appendices . 163 iii List of Figures Chapter 5: Findings. .82 Figure 1: Museum Entrance . .90 Figure 2: Boomer . 96 Figure 3: Gifting Site . 103 Figure 4: Gifting Site far view. .104 Figure 5: Bone Hanging in Tree. 104 Figure 6: Bone to Scale, Size 10 Men’s Shoe. 106 Chapter 6: Analysis Figure 7: Gifting Panel. .117 Figure 8: Gifting Display. 117 Figure 9: Wasp from SEDM. 129 Figure 10: Bailey Surroundings. .135 Figure 11: Room Four. .137 iv List of Tables Chapter 5: Findings . 82 Table 5.1: Question One Findings . .83 Table 5.2: Question Two Findings . .83 Table 5.3: Question Three Findings . 84 Table 5.4: Question Four Findings . 84 Table 5.5: Question Five Findings . .85 Table 5.6: Question Six Findings. 86 Table 5.7 Question Seven Findings. 87 Table 5.8: Question Eight Findings. 88 Table 5.9: Average Text Panel Word Counts. 91 Chapter 6: Analysis. .109 Table 6.1 : Sasquatch in the Media . 121 v Introduction “We have been asking the wrong question through the years. “What did you see?” …It may be more important to ask the one question the eyewitness is not in a position to answer: “Why did you see it?” (Daegling 2004, 259) The Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, has taken the United States by storm since the series premier of Finding Bigfoot in May 2011 (Internet Movie Database n.d.). It appears in television commercials, stores, webpages, museums, and is the topic of conferences all over the nation. Researchers can be found collecting evidence, publishing reports, and giving lectures. Lay people can find the beast in memes, fan art, stickers and earrings, and as plush toys. It appears almost everywhere. This thesis is.