In 2006, a 7’1” Lakota Sioux man found himself face-to-face with Northern California’s most enduring legend, the mighty Oh-mah, known to many as Bigfoot. What began as a skeptical experiment with his own bare footprint quickly escalated into an eerie standoff, leaving tribal elders convinced that the forest giant had recognized him as a rival.

I received the following email many years ago:

"In August of 2006, I was working in Northern California and was interested in finding Bigfoot footprints. I have a friend who is a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, also known as the Hoopa First Nation. I contacted him and spoke to an elder who took me to an area where some footprints had just been discovered. Being skeptical, I removed my right boot and stepped next to one of the footprints. I am 7'1" tall, weigh 395 pounds, and wear a size 17 street shoe or a size 19 boot (as boot sizes are often mislabeled). I am of Lakota Sioux lineage and speak several First Nation languages.

After putting my boots back on, we heard a loud, screaming howl. My friends started saying that "Oh-mah" was coming, and we needed to leave. My friend Dave informed his elder about what I had done, and we returned to the site three hours later. To my surprise, there were numerous large footprints surrounding mine, along with what I believe to be a significant finger impression in the middle of my footprint.

A couple of weeks later, I was contacted and invited back to the reservation. They explained that they usually lose a significant portion of their apple crop to Oh-mah, but in 2006, they hadn't lost anything. They wanted to know if I could return every year and walk around barefoot to intimidate Oh-mah, especially if I brought any big friends my size.

The elder believed that Oh-mah either saw me with the much shorter Native people and thought I was another Oh-mah or recognized my footprint as a threat. He thought it was possible that Oh-mah didn’t want to confront something nearly as large as itself and left the area.

The Oh-mah footprint was the same length as mine, but it was an inch and a half wider at the ball and three-quarters of an inch wider at the heel. The depth of the print was the same.

I have spoken with some so-called experts from the BFRO and the Bigfoot Discovery Project, who laughed at my account but then wanted me to join them in calling Bigfoot using a bullhorn in either a native language. I would rather not be used by someone who is too narrow-minded to understand that I want to speak to the kononpaiochis (literally meaning "the people of the north who don’t comb their hair" – referring to Bigfoot)."

Sincerely yours, Don Talks With Owl Campbell

NOTE: I have been informed that the native tribes in this area, including the Hupa and Yurok, refer to the creature as "Omah" or "Oh-mah," which translates to "boss of the woods.

Don “Talks With Owl” Campbell’s extraordinary account blends personal experience, cultural tradition, and the living mystery of the forests. To the Hoopa and Yurok peoples, Oh-mah is not merely folklore but a real and powerful presence. Whether this giant recognized Campbell as kin, rival, or something else entirely, the encounter reminds us that the line between legend and reality is far thinner than most are willing to believe. Lon