The Legend of Walking Sam

Legends from the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation, which encompasses the site of the Battle at Wounded Knee (1890), tell of an entity known as 'Walking Sam,' 'Big Man,' or 'Tall Man'. A lithe, dark figure that is said to be 7 feet or more in height without any discernible facial features. But sometimes there are. The descriptions can vary wildly. Some say he has glowing red eyes; others ascribe a cloak and top hat to his overall appearance--all of which sounds more creepypasta than ancient tribal legend. And perhaps there's some truth to that. Many tales evolve over time, taking on elements aggregately with the slow assimilation of outside influences. The entity is said to be both real and spirit. Most often though it is described as evil and an a harbinger of doom.

One encounter involved a man driving along a lonesome road one night not far from Pine Ridge Reservation when he spotted a dark form teetering on the edge of the road. Thinking it was a hitch hiker, the driver pulled over to offer help. He was startled to see a tall, lanky figure in a cloak and top hat approaching his vehicle. While the figure had no discernible visage, the driver heard it demand to be let into his vehicle. Frightened, the witness quickly rolled up his window and began to speed away. The entity suddenly began banging on the side of his vehicle as he sped away into the night. Later, when recounting his horrific experience, the witness was told this was "Walking Sam, the Tall Man."

Another modern witness to strange entities around the reservation claims he was driving just outside of Eagle Butte, SD, when two glowing, translucent beings with monstrous countenances and stick like arms confronted him, each flanking an opposite side of the road. These creatures did not tower, however. They were described as only about 4 feet tall. Frighteningly, as he passed them both, one of the creatures seemed to phase Matrix-style into the passenger seat of his car and sit there for several miles before disappearing and leaving the witness in a total panic.

Some researchers point to a correlation between an uptick in suicides on the Pine Ridge Reservation and these creatures. In 2009, local teens began reporting a tall, shadowy figure that told them to kill themselves. It was believed this was "Walking Sam."

Much like many orthodox adherents to Abrahamic religions believe demonic forces are a very real threat, many here believe entities such as these are not mere folklore. In the wake of the suicides, one tribal leader made the statement that even local law enforcement is aware of this being. She described him as an evil spirit from which the police had thus far been unable to protect their people. She demanded that additional assistance be summoned from Washington to protect the Pine Ridge Reservation from Walking Sam. Yet no help came and the suicides continued to rise. Each year, it seemed more young people passed on, almost summoned to death by this dark Pied Piper. Tribal Vice President Thomas Poor Bear claimed nooses had been found swinging from trees at Porcupine, SD. When authorities came to investigate and remove the nooses, they discovered a group of teens who had gathered in preparation of a mass suicide. According to reports, Walking Sam had compelled them to do this.

Is there a dangerously compelling entity summoning these indigenous youth to end their lives or is it a folkloric manifestation of the very real despair that hovers heavy over a people who have long suffered at the hands of a system of oppression?