1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:14,490 by 2 00:00:22,569 --> 00:00:18,429 my name is John Quint and I live here in 3 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:22,579 Missouri before I moved here I lived in 4 00:00:29,380 --> 00:00:26,810 Arkansas Ozarks and from the mid 5 00:00:32,229 --> 00:00:29,390 seventies on I had an interest in 6 00:00:34,209 --> 00:00:32,239 stories about the little people in the 7 00:00:41,170 --> 00:00:34,219 Ozarks in Arkansas and neighboring 8 00:00:44,319 --> 00:00:41,180 regions it all started when I was living 9 00:00:46,990 --> 00:00:44,329 down in on a piece of land that people 10 00:00:50,050 --> 00:00:47,000 were developing and there was a pond 11 00:00:52,420 --> 00:00:50,060 that had a irrigation pipe or not 12 00:00:54,850 --> 00:00:52,430 irrigation pipe but a pipe going into it 13 00:00:56,590 --> 00:00:54,860 to fill it with water and it was our job 14 00:01:01,060 --> 00:00:56,600 every day to pump water through this 15 00:01:03,010 --> 00:01:01,070 pipe and one one evening or one morning 16 00:01:04,389 --> 00:01:03,020 we were following the pipe before we 17 00:01:08,380 --> 00:01:04,399 turn the pumps on to make sure there 18 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:08,390 weren't any cracks and it got to where 19 00:01:13,389 --> 00:01:11,290 it went into the pond and there below 20 00:01:16,300 --> 00:01:13,399 where the water would have been coming 21 00:01:19,539 --> 00:01:16,310 out was a little footprint but like this 22 00:01:21,249 --> 00:01:19,549 is a human footprint and the man who was 23 00:01:23,410 --> 00:01:21,259 with me following the pipe so it was his 24 00:01:26,260 --> 00:01:23,420 land he was an old-timer who lived there 25 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:26,270 in Arkansas and I was just amazed and be 26 00:01:31,059 --> 00:01:29,090 an infant footprint in the mud and he 27 00:01:33,789 --> 00:01:31,069 said oh it's just little people getting 28 00:01:35,769 --> 00:01:33,799 a drink of water it was like it was just 29 00:01:37,179 --> 00:01:35,779 something that he was brought up with 30 00:01:38,620 --> 00:01:37,189 and then just take it as a matter of 31 00:01:41,019 --> 00:01:38,630 course it wasn't anything real 32 00:01:42,459 --> 00:01:41,029 astounding was astounding to me because 33 00:01:45,269 --> 00:01:42,469 I had never seen anything like this 34 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:45,279 before so from that point forward I am 35 00:01:51,370 --> 00:01:48,170 I've done a lot of studying a lot of 36 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:51,380 research and a lot of serendipitous 37 00:01:56,499 --> 00:01:54,170 event to happen it kind of led me in the 38 00:02:00,269 --> 00:01:56,509 right direction as far as researching 39 00:02:03,010 --> 00:02:00,279 all this I started researching our old 40 00:02:06,819 --> 00:02:03,020 Native American legends primarily 41 00:02:09,309 --> 00:02:06,829 Cherokees because uh I found out that 42 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:09,319 that part of Arkansas was settled by 43 00:02:13,870 --> 00:02:11,450 Cherokees long before the Trail of Tears 44 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:13,880 in though they call it the old settlers 45 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:18,890 band it was and became a Arkansas 46 00:02:26,630 --> 00:02:22,050 Cherokee territory in 1817 47 00:02:29,060 --> 00:02:26,640 and the areas around there where I've 48 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:29,070 seen activity like this or heard Mosul 49 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:30,690 stories all happened within this little 50 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:38,610 of territorial law framework a few years 51 00:02:45,980 --> 00:02:41,490 later in the 80s I was up in Van Buren 52 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:45,990 County Arkansas outside the town of 53 00:02:51,170 --> 00:02:48,090 Clinton you go west to there into the 54 00:02:52,730 --> 00:02:51,180 mountains around Allred some old-timers 55 00:02:56,150 --> 00:02:52,740 told me there was a carving in a rock 56 00:02:58,790 --> 00:02:56,160 there and I found directions we went out 57 00:03:01,850 --> 00:02:58,800 to look for it and it was a very 58 00:03:05,570 --> 00:03:01,860 isolated area and on the bluff there was 59 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:05,580 a carving the only about this high it's 60 00:03:10,820 --> 00:03:07,490 about three foot off the ground it was a 61 00:03:13,490 --> 00:03:10,830 figure holding a knife and had like a 62 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:13,500 headdress on it but why is it it was 63 00:03:17,270 --> 00:03:15,510 only three foot above the ground and it 64 00:03:19,790 --> 00:03:17,280 was carved into the rock it wasn't 65 00:03:25,670 --> 00:03:19,800 painted on it was picked at it was a pic 66 00:03:27,229 --> 00:03:25,680 to cliff rather a petroglyph I felt like 67 00:03:33,260 --> 00:03:27,239 this might have had something to do with 68 00:03:36,979 --> 00:03:33,270 it and I researched getting back to the 69 00:03:40,310 --> 00:03:36,989 Cherokees they had a rich tradition of 70 00:03:42,620 --> 00:03:40,320 little people both when their native 71 00:03:44,449 --> 00:03:42,630 lands in the Smoky Mountains and after 72 00:03:47,060 --> 00:03:44,459 they moved Oklahoma and while they're in 73 00:03:48,860 --> 00:03:47,070 Arkansas - it seemed like the not only 74 00:03:51,470 --> 00:03:48,870 the stories of little people but the 75 00:03:54,290 --> 00:03:51,480 experiences with the people loved came 76 00:03:58,190 --> 00:03:54,300 with them there were other tribes that 77 00:04:00,470 --> 00:03:58,200 lived in the Ozark the Osage and the 78 00:04:02,870 --> 00:04:00,480 Quapaw and the Cato and they all have 79 00:04:06,110 --> 00:04:02,880 stories of little people in fact just 80 00:04:08,420 --> 00:04:06,120 about every every native group here and 81 00:04:11,930 --> 00:04:08,430 I know at least in in Europe have all 82 00:04:16,180 --> 00:04:11,940 had in stories of little people and they 83 00:04:21,740 --> 00:04:16,190 all seemed to have traits in common I 84 00:04:24,110 --> 00:04:21,750 just found a fascinating in outside of 85 00:04:25,610 --> 00:04:24,120 the town of fifty-six Arkansas which is 86 00:04:29,060 --> 00:04:25,620 near Mountain View in Stone County 87 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:29,070 there's Blanchard Springs Caverns it's 88 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:31,289 well developed cavern system with the 89 00:04:34,940 --> 00:04:32,970 trails going through it but before that 90 00:04:35,780 --> 00:04:34,950 was developed as a cavern the only way 91 00:04:38,150 --> 00:04:35,790 to get into 92 00:04:44,230 --> 00:04:38,160 through a shaft it'll lower yourself on 93 00:04:48,050 --> 00:04:44,240 a rope to get into it in the 1955 a 94 00:04:51,140 --> 00:04:48,060 gentleman uh three people three men went 95 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:51,150 into the shaft to explore it they found 96 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:53,730 an old skeleton in there but the skull 97 00:04:59,300 --> 00:04:56,370 was like six feet above the rest of the 98 00:05:03,940 --> 00:04:59,310 bones upon a Ledge they estimated the 99 00:05:08,990 --> 00:05:06,320 after looking around they found a lot of 100 00:05:11,540 --> 00:05:09,000 footprints and handprints all around in 101 00:05:15,530 --> 00:05:11,550 the mud around there and on top of a 102 00:05:20,030 --> 00:05:15,540 flow stone which was from the you know 103 00:05:22,670 --> 00:05:20,040 the stalagmite there was a muddy dairy 104 00:05:25,940 --> 00:05:22,680 on top and they found a little footprint 105 00:05:27,830 --> 00:05:25,950 of size of an infant on top of that 106 00:05:30,230 --> 00:05:27,840 thing and this is in a cavern or there 107 00:05:32,030 --> 00:05:30,240 weren't any light I mean they had to 108 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:32,040 burn reeds if anybody went but they 109 00:05:36,140 --> 00:05:33,810 found no evidence of any burnt Reed's 110 00:05:37,580 --> 00:05:36,150 around where this was found and to my 111 00:05:39,650 --> 00:05:37,590 knowledge and I think that footprint is 112 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:39,660 still there it's off the trail he can't 113 00:05:42,830 --> 00:05:41,250 just wander in there look at it because 114 00:05:45,020 --> 00:05:42,840 you have to stay on the trail and you 115 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:45,030 take the tour through the camera but the 116 00:05:49,940 --> 00:05:47,490 Rangers and the people that guide you 117 00:05:54,350 --> 00:05:49,950 the guide to them though verify that 118 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:54,360 that was there doing my research on the 119 00:05:59,530 --> 00:05:57,330 little people there's a lot of stories 120 00:06:02,350 --> 00:05:59,540 I'm sure a lot of it's just legend 121 00:06:05,300 --> 00:06:02,360 Thomas just stories and some of maybe 122 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:05,310 personal experiences people of where 123 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:07,130 they come from 124 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:10,170 how they got there I'm not sure it seems 125 00:06:15,290 --> 00:06:13,170 like different cultures different groups 126 00:06:19,010 --> 00:06:15,300 that have been through there have their 127 00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:19,020 own history and stories about these 128 00:06:24,380 --> 00:06:22,290 people and it seems like they fit within 129 00:06:26,390 --> 00:06:24,390 a framework of their culture when they 130 00:06:33,190 --> 00:06:26,400 see them so whether these might be beams 131 00:06:36,130 --> 00:06:33,200 that can shift to will 132 00:06:40,390 --> 00:06:36,140 cultural belief or set of mores like 133 00:06:44,350 --> 00:06:40,400 that or if it's a different species you 134 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:44,360 might say of beings like that that come 135 00:06:49,630 --> 00:06:47,330 out I don't know I'm not making any 136 00:06:51,790 --> 00:06:49,640 judgments I haven't rendered any kind of 137 00:06:54,540 --> 00:06:51,800 a conclusion I'm still at stage right 138 00:06:58,120 --> 00:06:54,550 collecting stories and from what I 139 00:06:59,970 --> 00:06:58,130 understand reading about the history of 140 00:07:02,620 --> 00:06:59,980 these little people 141 00:07:05,140 --> 00:07:02,630 I'll get back to the Cherokees again 142 00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:05,150 because according to their own legends 143 00:07:10,690 --> 00:07:07,670 when they first came down into the Smoky 144 00:07:13,060 --> 00:07:10,700 Mountain area they encountered a race of 145 00:07:16,090 --> 00:07:13,070 beings that live there who were small 146 00:07:17,530 --> 00:07:16,100 and moon-eyed people who could not see 147 00:07:19,990 --> 00:07:17,540 in the daytime but they could see at 148 00:07:22,390 --> 00:07:20,000 night and there was a war between them 149 00:07:25,570 --> 00:07:22,400 day and finally there was a truce made 150 00:07:27,430 --> 00:07:25,580 and they coexisted but they didn't live 151 00:07:30,820 --> 00:07:27,440 together in the same areas they were 152 00:07:34,060 --> 00:07:30,830 apart but according to some stories uh 153 00:07:37,210 --> 00:07:34,070 these people moved westward and went to 154 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:37,220 what is now Tennessee the different the 155 00:07:43,540 --> 00:07:40,970 different tribes they coexisted with 156 00:07:45,370 --> 00:07:43,550 these beans because they were just 157 00:07:48,810 --> 00:07:45,380 considered pardon landscape just like 158 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:48,820 they would coexist with deer or bear or 159 00:07:55,030 --> 00:07:52,730 other tribes or did or little people and 160 00:07:57,100 --> 00:07:55,040 you know maybe even know Sasquatch I 161 00:07:59,380 --> 00:07:57,110 mean it wasn't considered something may 162 00:08:04,830 --> 00:07:59,390 go try to hunt and capture and display 163 00:08:08,110 --> 00:08:04,840 it was just something that was there it 164 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:08,120 according to what I've read uh if a 165 00:08:12,490 --> 00:08:10,130 hunter wanted to go in and hunt a 166 00:08:14,050 --> 00:08:12,500 certain land he would uh make an 167 00:08:16,300 --> 00:08:14,060 offering then ask the little people 168 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:16,310 permission to go in or if they were in 169 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:18,170 the woods and they found a knife or 170 00:08:20,770 --> 00:08:19,490 something or something they wanted to 171 00:08:22,810 --> 00:08:20,780 take with them they would ask permission 172 00:08:25,690 --> 00:08:22,820 to take it because knowing that this 173 00:08:27,940 --> 00:08:25,700 would be part of their territory there's 174 00:08:30,370 --> 00:08:27,950 been cases they know people that were 175 00:08:32,890 --> 00:08:30,380 disrespectful having rocks thrown at 176 00:08:38,460 --> 00:08:32,900 them from nowhere and you couldn't see 177 00:08:41,409 --> 00:08:38,470 he was throwing rocks at him and also uh 178 00:08:43,870 --> 00:08:41,419 later stories there were 179 00:08:46,540 --> 00:08:43,880 the people who've had encounters with 180 00:08:49,990 --> 00:08:46,550 these with the little people they were 181 00:08:52,090 --> 00:08:50,000 warned not to talk about and they were 182 00:08:54,509 --> 00:08:52,100 disrespectful and spoke of it usually 183 00:08:57,850 --> 00:08:54,519 something bad would happen to them and 184 00:09:02,079 --> 00:08:57,860 otherwise there was one man who was when 185 00:09:04,420 --> 00:09:02,089 he was four years old he was this is a 186 00:09:06,460 --> 00:09:04,430 another Cherokee story when he was four 187 00:09:09,550 --> 00:09:06,470 years old he was kidnapped by the little 188 00:09:11,259 --> 00:09:09,560 people his father went looking for him 189 00:09:14,850 --> 00:09:11,269 and couldn't find him for several days 190 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:14,860 and asked when the medicine people if 191 00:09:20,290 --> 00:09:17,930 where he could find him and the medicine 192 00:09:23,290 --> 00:09:20,300 man told him well I'll tell you where he 193 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:23,300 can find him but when you find him don't 194 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:26,690 ask him where he was or what happened so 195 00:09:30,190 --> 00:09:28,490 he honored that and he found a son who 196 00:09:32,530 --> 00:09:30,200 brought him home he grew to be an adult 197 00:09:34,509 --> 00:09:32,540 but he got to be an adult then he told 198 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:34,519 people what had happened then he was in 199 00:09:43,269 --> 00:09:38,450 his young look I I would think it it 200 00:09:45,310 --> 00:09:43,279 seemed to me that one thing that just 201 00:09:48,250 --> 00:09:45,320 about every culture might have in common 202 00:09:50,860 --> 00:09:48,260 despite all our differences is like 203 00:09:55,150 --> 00:09:50,870 stories legends and beliefs in another 204 00:09:58,030 --> 00:09:55,160 race of beings that we some coexist with 205 00:10:01,930 --> 00:09:58,040 or have communicate with once in a while 206 00:10:03,970 --> 00:10:01,940 and I think we've lost this in in the 207 00:10:08,019 --> 00:10:03,980 technological world as we get more 208 00:10:12,220 --> 00:10:08,029 developed they seem to like the wild 209 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:12,230 places I haven't heard people 210 00:10:19,090 --> 00:10:15,470 encountering them in downtown Chicago or 211 00:10:24,370 --> 00:10:19,100 anything but uh who knows maybe they 212 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:24,380 have I think it bears a lot more lot 213 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:27,110 more research but it's research that has 214 00:10:32,170 --> 00:10:30,050 go along with respect and humility - and 215 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:32,180 I'm not trying to capture one put a cage 216 00:10:36,850 --> 00:10:34,250 show people but uh 217 00:10:38,350 --> 00:10:36,860 and I do run across one or had an 218 00:10:40,150 --> 00:10:38,360 experience with them I probably won't 219 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:40,160 even talk about it for at least seven 220 00:10:47,370 --> 00:10:41,410 years 221 00:10:50,790 --> 00:10:47,380 the information together and I published 222 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:50,800 it year 2000 it's called Once Upon a 223 00:10:57,810 --> 00:10:54,490 Time in Arkansas and stories of 224 00:11:00,270 --> 00:10:57,820 encounters with the little people in in 225 00:11:05,820 --> 00:11:00,280 Arkansas and neighboring regions and it 226 00:11:08,670 --> 00:11:05,830 kind of uh stories of the research I did 227 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:08,680 and it's got my references in the back 228 00:11:13,050 --> 00:11:11,110 where I got these stories or where they 229 00:11:17,130 --> 00:11:13,060 came from a lot of it was from books 230 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:17,140 some was from personal interviews some 231 00:11:26,310 --> 00:11:20,170 from internet interviews and you can 232 00:11:30,630 --> 00:11:26,320 write to me email me at j r qu ints two 233 00:11:32,730 --> 00:11:30,640 three at yahoo.com or if you look on 234 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:32,740 Amazon it is listed there but they took 235 00:11:36,870 --> 00:11:34,330 the picture down for some reason but 236 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:36,880 just look up once upon a time in 237 00:11:41,790 --> 00:11:40,090 Arkansas and John Quint and it should