The native peoples who inhabit the Pacific Northwest Coast and Interior Plateau possess oral traditions concerning cryptozoology, including the 'wild people' also known as Sasquatch or Bigfoot. For the Squamish Nation, these are Wild People, or "Smaylilh". Squamish historical accounts indicate that these Wild People and humans are, or once were, related. This common ancestry indicates long-standing co-habitation within Squamish territory.

This paper deals with a number of examples of this, including stories or tales of brief encounters with Wild People. Encounter stories have been mapped and relate to the regional archaeological record. It is suggested that archaeological sites in remote or difficult to reach locations represent Smaylilh activities. In taking this approach, it is hoped that anthropological/archaeological theoretical concepts can be meshed with Indigenous, First Nation, perspectives.