Tom returns tonight for part two of my interview on the First Nations encounters with Sasquatch. Please visit www.hamoomooadventures.com
Thomas Sewid was born on a small island off northeast Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada called Alert Bay. This is the modern epicenter for the northern Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl) First Nations Tribes, otherwise known as Canadian Indians. Raised with the rich culture and heritage of this coastal First Nations Tribe, he was brought up hearing the stories of the animal kingdom and seeing the great ceremony known as Potlatch. At Potlatch he has witnessed the ancient dances with carved masks and beautiful traditional regalia hosted in the great buildings known as Bighouse’s.
Raised to be a commercial seine fisherman from an early age he would work his way up the ranks to be a captain of salmon seine boats during the 1990s. Thomas has also participated in numerous other commercial fisheries throughout the entire British Columbia coast. During this time, he would meet other First Nations from throughout the coast and hear their stories pertaining to the Sasquatch/Bigfoot.
In his mid-twenties Thomas was sent out by his Chief and Council to the abandoned Indian Village known famously as Mamalilacolla, Village Of The Last Potlatch to be its care taker . The name is far from the truth, and Tom would educate the boaters and sea kayakers that came to this world famous site to see the fallen totem poles and Bighouse remains that the Potlatch ceremony was and is still alive to this day. Little did he know in the first year that the caretaking would lead him to give daily summer tours throughout this village educating all about the rich history and culture of his Tribe for over 25 years! It also turned his life around where instead of catching salmon during the summers he was now working in the Eco-cultural tourism industry of the B.C. coast.
Living in the bush world of his people he honed his skills to be a modern day bushman. One of the things that interested Thomas was the stories about encounters with large and small hair covered bi-pedal creatures’ visitors and local homesteaders had had in the region. He also began to wonder about some of the night time noises and strange happenings that were taken place while he was living out in the bush? Then came his encounter with two creatures and a few years later another encounter that set him on the course to be one of North America’s leading Sasquatch/Bigfoot researchers for he has deep insight into the First Nations stories and beliefs!
In the 1990’s he hired on with a yacht to be a commercial hunting guide. Traveling throughout all of The Broughton Archipelago he poked around in every bay, channel, nock and cranny as he states looking mainly for black bears for his International clients. In fall the outfit would journey deep into the inlets in pursuit of grizzly bears. Thomas spent many years being a big game guide and as though it was just part of what he did, he was always questioning locals and people working in the bush about Sasquatch.
Each year though, Thomas always found himself back in Village Island during the summers conducting tours and building his tourism business. He would have a float house which became British Columbia’s only floating Indian Art Store, a small marina and eventually a 12 passenger water taxi/tour boat with native orca design painted across its’ bow. He would build cabins out of red cedar reminiscent of his peoples’ traditional styled Bighouse’s which he still has to this day. He also purchased a sea kayak fleet and became one of the most sought after outfitters specializing in paddling with orca whales and grizzly bears all with a heavy First Nations cultural component.
Through the years, Thomas was active in the Canadian Indian political field as a Director on the boards of Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia, Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada. He even participated with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C. when he assisted with incorporating the Canadian Indian cultural component into the games.
As a true aboriginal entrepreneur he honed his business skills, so that now he works part time under contract helping others build or expand their tourism business ventures as a consultant. It has and is taking him all over western Canada and he just finished one year living and working in the Northwest Territories. There he conducted boat tours, fishing operations and in the winter ice fishing charters for the world famous Aurora Village which focuses on catering to people to see the northern lights.
These days sees Thomas assisting his life’s partner in Kent Washington with www.hamoomooadventures.com which is an adventure tourism operation catering to people wanting to sea kayak, high end camp called Glamping, take yacht based adventures and of course conduct or participate in Sasquatch tours or research. The focus to all is a heavy First Nations cultural component which is amazing after decades of honing his skills.
Tom and his partner Peggy have just launched The Seattle Sasquatch Tour, where one gets to see Peggy perform the costumed masked native Sasquatch dance in the shadow of the Tzoonakwa (Wildwoman Of The Woods) Totem pole in down town Seattle. Afterwards Thomas guides you through the Seattle Art Museum to share insight into the Sasquatch carvings found here and at The Burke Museum. This tour is sure to give insight into the creatures like no other tour in North America. They even have a dinner tour where all go to Ivar’s Salmon House which is designed and decorated like a traditional west coast Indian big house.
Thomas Sewid & Peggy Ferderer
U.S.A. Cell 206-617-7547
Ha Moo Moo Adventures www.hamoomooadventures.com