Tsiatko

Type: Paranormal Entity / Forest Spirit

Region: Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, British Columbia), Northern California, and the Cascades, Rocky Mountain Region

Description: The Tsiatko or Stick Indians are mysterious, malevolent forest entities found in the oral traditions of several Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, including the Salish, Spokane, and Nez Perce tribes. Rarely seen directly, but often described as small, sometimes as small as 18 inches tall, with some accounts describing them as being the size of an ordinary person. They are said to have long hair, wrinkled faces, and may wear deer skin, cloaked in darkness or foliage, often disfigured or faceless. Their name comes from the eerie sounds they produce—branches breaking, stick-clicking, tree-knocking, and high-pitched laughter echoing through the woods at night. Unlike many cryptids, Stick Indians are considered spirit beings, not animals, and are often treated with extreme caution and reverence in Native stories. Some tribes refuse to speak of them directly—even today.

Behavior: They are known for their mischievous and sometimes malevolent behavior. They might lead people astray with whistling or other sounds, steal children, or even harm people. They are also depicted as being vengeful and quick to retaliate against those who disrespect them. Tsiatko have powers to paralyze, hypnotize, or cause insanity in hapless humans, while in others, they merely lead astray by making eerie sounds of whistling or laughter in the woods at night. Different tribes have their own names and specific legends about these beings, but they are generally seen as a type of “little people” who possess supernatural abilities.