Free for members, $5 for non-members
Hager Auditorium 
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Join the "Sasquatch Aunties" Lailani and Carrie Lynn as they share captivating Indigenous Bigfoot stories and investigations, bringing ancient encounters to life and fostering a supportive community on their YouTube channel, Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project.

The Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project was birthed out of the curiosity of sisters Lailani and Carrie Lynn decades ago when Carrie Lynn had her first unexpected sighting of the Being known as “Imoitapi” to the Blackfeet, and Bigfoot or Sasquatch to many across the world. In this talk, you will hear and learn from the sister team who have investigated and sat to listen to many stories from Native folks over several years in their community and other indigenous communities. With journalism and documentary filmmaking in Lailani’s background, the two decided to start a Bigfoot storytelling project and put it on YouTube to share stories, research, and perspective from an Indigenous understanding. Their storytelling project gives folks a little native fun entertainment while they share their investigation through a hike vlog style. Lailani and Carrie Lynn also known by their followers on the channel as “Sasquatch Aunties” take viewers with them across the Blackfoot homelands collecting encounters that have been carried down for generations. They offer a public platform to those who have experienced the Being and to tell their stories raw, as if they are in the mountains or living rooms with their friends. Efforts for the Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project is to bring a community of support to protect and honor these stories from ridicule and usher validity to the Creature who calls the Backbone of the World (Rocky Mountain front) home.

Carrie Lynn Bear Chief

Carrie Lynn Bear Chief, Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet) works independently from her home on the Blackfeet Nation. Most of her life career she has served and built a strong relationship with the elders in her community as coordinator and director of the Blackfeet Eagle Shields Center and also as a volunteer in her community and church. She holds a strong tie to her people and through her work and ministry as an associate pastor with her father at Faith Dominion Center in Browning. She thrives to inspire Native people to rise and be an authentic strong voice and to use their God-given talents within their communities. Through her work and ministry, Carrie has been a speaker across the state and country representing and advocating for Native people. Currently, Carrie works to share the cultural values through knowledge passed down to her through her great uncle and late Chief Earl Old Person and many other elders on Blackfeet customs, stories, and history along with her sister through an Indigenous storytelling consultancy, Iron Shield Creative. She leads the Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project with years of Sasquatch investigative research based on the Blackfeet homelands and other communities around the country and Canada. Carrie says, “Our project has created such an emotional connection with those who have had encounters and has really broadened our understanding, we have so enjoyed doing this project, I think it’s more of a life work for us now.” Carrie loves being a mom and grandmother and working on projects around her house and yard.

Lailani Upham, Content Creator

Lailani Upham, Blackfoot/Aaniiih/Dakota, is an adventurer, filmmaker, photojournalist, writer, teacher, content creator, and entrepreneur. Upham aims to capture stories that inspire people of all walks of life to consider their relationship with the natural world from an indigenous lens, while advocating to preserve traditional indigenous practices. She’s worked as journalist for 20 + years; and has taught indigenous story-based video, writing, and podcast, courses at tribal colleges. Lailani is the founder of Iron Shield Creative LLC, a consultancy fostering Indigenous storytelling in all aspects of work, including guided cultural hikes that engage folks in an experience of place-based understanding from an Indigenous perspective to inspire land and environmental stewardship, and to bridge an authentic cultural understanding. Lailani is the lead content creator for the Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project YouTube channel, a platform she is passionate about to build community and hold space for Indigenous Bigfoot stories and usher validity to the Creature who calls the Backbone of the World (Rocky Mountain front) home. But above all these roles, Lailani loves being a grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, auntie and friend. Lailani is a U.S. Army veteran; and promotes indigenous values every day by living her best, strongest, fearless, and hilarious life.