Bigfoot Convention, 2017 with J. Jones

Notes from the second “Annual” International Bigfoot Conference

By:  S.V. Geddes, CSRA Environmental Examiner

Three Rivers Convention Center, located in Kennewick, part of the Tri-City area associated with the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state, was the location of this three-day conference about “Bigfoot” held the first through third of September 2017. Two local residents were in attendance:  An area veterinarian of note, Dr. J. Jones and a local environmental writer and one-time environmental systems manager, Mr. S.V. Geddes, were there to gather information about the subject and meet individuals who may be useful as contacts in the future.  While it is understood many feel the subject is a bit less than a scientific reality, the dozen or so presenters, a few of whom are discussed below, would definitely disagree. 

Derek Randles of the Olympic Project, discussed the project’s work.  The Olympic Project is an association of dedicated researchers, investigators, biologists and trackers committed to documenting the existence of Sasquatch through science and education.  (Sasquatch is just one of the names used for Bigfoot.  Other names, mainly from other countries, include Yeti, Ts'emekwes, Yowie, to name just a few.)

Dr. Jeff Meldrum:  2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Patterson-Gimlin film, a film showing a Bigfoot (purportedly) walking across a meadow into a forest. Having weathered repeated attempts to discredit it over the past half century, the P-G film repeatedly emerges unscathed, as new understanding of hominoid evolution and advances in forensic technologies reveal new insights into the film and its subject. Dr. Meldrum examines a small sample of these insights that Patterson could not have anticipated 50 years ago, which speak to the credibility of this foremost photographic evidence for the existence of relict hominoids in North America.

Dr. John Bindernagel:  Most people at this conference already know that proposing the Sasquatch or Bigfoot as an existing North American mammal has generated scientific resistance to a degree which was unexpected by some, given the quality and abundance of evidence supporting this interpretation.  As one of a small minority of scientists in the relevant scientific disciplines attempting to overcome this scientific resistance, Dr. Bindernagel has relied heavily on evidence documented by amateur investigators.

Also presenting was a member of our “local” academic community, Dr. David Floyd, Associate Professor of English at Charleston Southern University.   His primary research deals with the consistent presence of Bigfoot-type creatures in folklore and legend throughout human history, and the theory, far from being merely some psychological archetype or cultural emblem, that there is a substantive, biological reality behind the accounts of this mysterious creature.

The presentations were interesting and varied.  So, how does this affect me, you might ask?  Well, if that little “Bigfoot” that has been eating the extra catfood you have been putting out by your back porch should hurt itself and seek your assistance, you just might want to know where to go to get that help.  That being the case, Dr. Jones and his team at the Ark Animal Hospital in Aiken (https://www.facebook.com/Ark.in.Aiken/) is the place, in the CSRA, in any case.  Seriously, though, you never know what might happen when it concerns this animal called “Bigfoot.” 

And as for that “annual” convention—should you have any questions, you might go to https://www.internationalbigfootconference.com/ (which is where the information on presenters provided above is found.)  While reservations for the 2018 Conference are not available at this time, the desired information should be on this web site sometime early next year.  Who knows, maybe you just might run into Dr. Jones and Examiner Geddes at the third annual convention, should you decide to attend.

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