Editorial: The Memorial Day Footage: Real or Hoax?

This controversial piece of footage, taken in 1996 by Lori and Owen Pate near Chopaka Lake in northern Washington, shows what appears to be some sort of average-sized hairy individual running from left to right across a hillside. It jumps once, then goes behind a hill where it disappears for a time. It then re-emerges from behind the hill and appears to grow taller by 8 inches and walks towards a wooded area where it disappears. This piece of footage was shown on the critically-acclaimed television special Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science and also on the DVD. There is more of it on the DVD than in the TV special. On the special, a high-tech recreation of the event was undertaken, with a champion sprinter Derek Prior taking the place of the alleged Sasquatch and running across the hillside with a special backpack, and the runner outran the alleged creature. However, a few features on the alleged creature are interesting; one, it appears to have breasts swinging back and forth; two, it appears to be steadying something on its back which appears to be haning on; three, when it re-emerges from behing the hill, it appears to grow by eight inches. Now, that may be because of one of two things-either it is raising a young one up higher, or it is pushing a mask back on its head. I am about 45% convinced it is a young, small Sasquatch in the footage, standing about 5'3" tall. However, some comments that were made in the audio of the footage, which were not aired on LMS seem to damn this footage, such as "We're gonna make a million dollars off this footage." or Fred Bradshaw's alleged comment "Looks like a white boy to me." It is alleged that late Bigfooter Bradshaw was there at the site and made that comment, but he is supposed to have been elsewhere that day. But those who have heard the audio and knew Bradshaw swear it was him. This is a controversial sticking point which is quite puzzling and only adds to the mystery of this footage. The mystery of the Memorial Day Footage will continue for many years until a body is brought in. Until then, we will continue to debate it.