AN INTELLIGENT SPECIES OF REPTILE

Why Have I Seen This Before?

When I began my research into the non-metrical image writing used by the First Nations of North America, my thoughts about the culture they had developed in the millenia before the arrival of Columbus was pretty much formed from what is commonly taught in schools today. I had no idea what I was about to uncover. As my research progressed, I began to note images of animals that have been extinct for about the last 10,000 years. Saber tooth tigers, mammoth, mastodon, short faced bears, North American lions...all presented through the form of an incredibly intricate type of writing that I could find no record of in archaeological texts. However, the members of the First Nations that I consulted did have accurate knowledge about this type of image writing.

As amazing as it was to find images of such long-ago animals, a greater surprise awaited me. I began to find images of creatures that could only be dinosaurs! Given the dominant hypothesis that dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago, I though that perhaps I was simply mis-interpreting what I was seeing. But, as rare as they are, the number of such images that I found soon multiplied until I was forced to make a stunning conclusion: dinosaurs had indeed persisted into relatively recent times, and the people of the First Nations encountered several species of dinosaur in North America. Pterodactyls, T. Rex, Apatosaurus (the dinosaur formerly known as Brontosaurus), Stegosaurus...all had apparently survived in North America up to and through the initial arrival of humans here.

Then I found something REALLY strange. This was a single image of something I had never seen before, or even heard of.

It was a creature which was presented as having a wide, flat head; a narrow, extended jaw; and large, intelligent-looking eyes. What was this? Looking harder, I began to find more images of this creature. Eventually, I found depictions of this creature in places as far apart as the Northwest Coast of British Columbia, Canada, and the Ottawa River (which separates Ontario and Quebec in Canada). Obviously, whatever this creature was, its range had been widespread. But, what was it?

Using the images I had found, I began to piece together what I could of this creature's nature. It had walked upon two legs, but could run on all fours...fast enough to run down a North American horse, and drag it to the ground by biting its neck. That is certtainly the sort of speed which one would associate with reptiles over short distances; or in high temperatures; or if they were not quite like modern reptiles that we know, but were closer to being warm-blooded than to being cold-blooded...

It was capable of using tools, such as a tooth from a saber tooth tiger...which it could use as a knife. It was capable of killing a North American lion with such a knife (shown here, in black and white, as white detail upon the largest black section of that image; with the lion found in white with black detail, to the right of the large black area in this image). It had three fingers on its hands. It was often shown in association with a full moon, suggesting that it preferred to hunt by night, and to live underground...a suggestion supported by its disproportionately large eyes. It would attack humans as they slept, and was considered to be as dangerous as a short faced bear...which was the dominant mammalian predator in North America.

It was shown feeding its young by passing regurgitated food from its mouth to theirs. This, along with the its three fingers, suggested that it was a reptile...a social reptile, for it was presented in groups as well as singularly. The fact that it was often portrayed as having vertical slits for the pupils of its eyes confirms its reptilian origin (a close look at a presentation of such an eye is shown in the orangish image to the left below; in this image, one can make out the circular shape of the eye and the vertical line of a pupil that bisects it). On the Northwest Coast, it was presented as at least somewhat associated with volcanos...suggesting that it might be at least somewhat cold-blooded. And at least three different varieties of this type of creature were apparent: either as developmental stages, sub-species, or altogether distinct species...a situation reminiscent of the diversity of early hominid species (such as the sasquatch shown at the top right of this page).

It was a species of bi-pedal, social, intelligent, and tool-using reptile; and it had spread throughout North America before the arrival of humans.

I found it odd that such a widespread and obviously successful creature hadn't been discovered before in the fossil record of North America. Or had it? With very little modification, this creature could easily pass as what modern culture presents as a "grey alien". But, any creature capable of traveling through interstellar space would be unlikely to fight with a lion and use only the tooth of a saber tooth tiger as a weapon...or, run down a horse and pull it to the ground by biting its neck. How, then, had this obviously terrestrial creature apparently been transformed into an alien?

To answer that question, I think we need to return to the ground zero of "alien contact": Roswell, New Mexico, U.S.A.

One would expect that any species of reptile, intelligent or otherwise, would indeed prefer to live in the warmth of a desert-like environment. Around 10,000 years ago, the earth was at its post-glacial warmest (due to the way that the tilt of the earth's axis shifts over time); so from that point on, climates world-wide would have been cooling. One would expect that the extent of the territory which these creatures would have inhabited 10,000 years ago must have diminished from that point on, with deserts being the most likely area they would inhabit (after jungles).

New Mexico is a relatively undeveloped place; but a lot of development did occur there during WW2, when it was seen as a secure location for various (top secret) military bases. If fossil or skeletal remains of this species of reptile had been found in New Mexico, chances are they would have been found by the military during or just after WW2.

The Roswell Incident, whatever it was, happened in July of 1947. If such skeletal remains had been found around this time, how would they have been interpreted? What would likely have happened?

Given the guarded nature of military bases at that time and in that area, such a find would have been kept secret. But, given the bizarre nature of such skeletons and, people being people, at least some rumors could be expected to circulate. One would also expect the military to do whatever it could think of to try and find out what such a creature might have been. That is, after all, a part of their job description.

Let's put together a few of the elements at play during that period. It was shortly after the end of WW2, in an area where the top-secret nuclear weapons that had finally forced Japan's surrender were developed and tested. These nuclear weapons were eventually found to cause genetic mutations among those exposed to atomic radiation, although the exact nature and mechanics producing these mutations were not known at that time. During WW2, the Japanese were known for two unusual approaches to warfare: suicidal kamikaze pilots; and fire balloons, which were launched from Japan into the jet stream, and which caused forest fires in North America. Add to this the skeletal remains of something vaguely human-looking, but with three fingers and a broad, flat head.

Could it be that a Japanese kamikaze, altered in form by the then little-understood effects of nuclear radiation, had invaded North America by high-altitude balloon and then jumped into the area where nuclear weapons had been developed...only to land on his head, strangely flattening it?

Well, 67 drops of Air Force test dummies from high altitude balloons in this area, from 1954 to 1959, would have discounted that hypothesis.

So, it obviously wasn't a human skeleton that had been found. Was it an alien? Were aliens visiting earth to spy on the development of nuclear technology? The only way to test that hypothesis would be to collect reports of sightings of what might be alien spacecraft. And the best way to encourage people (who might be worried about being labeled insane) to report such sightings would be to legitimize the concept of alien visitors.

So: flesh out the skeleton (adding a bit too much 'flesh' around the jaw...oops); add a bit of color (lots of grey paint around military bases...oops); and, publicize the resulting image through the mass media.

Then, sort through the reports of alien sightings that flood in, and investigate any apparently legitimate sightings.

Only, there weren't any legitimate reports...because the skeletal remains that had started it all up were of a terrestrial reptile, not an alien. And by then, the "alien" image that had been publicized had acquired a life of its own. Today, that image is everywhere; on T-shirts, pens, key chains...you name it, and a version can probably be found with the image of an "alien" upon it (if not, well, there are plenty of "alien image" stickers to remedy the situation with).

If nothing else, this scenario certainly illustrates how thoroughly a stereotyped image can become culturally established...even if that image is of something that doesn't really exist, but is simply rumored to exist.

It doesn't take very long before almost everyone will at least consider the possibility that such an image is of something real. And, were someone to actually see something that somewhat resembles such an image...they would usually decide that they were seeing a real example of that stereotypical image.

Now, how long do you imagine that people would think and react in this way? Well, for at least as long as the stereotype was being disseminated and propagated.

Nice E.T.? I don't think so. Try, EXTREMELY dangerous reptile!

When Have I Seen This Before?

Perhaps the Roswell-alien mythology is not Western civilization's first encounter with this intelligent species of reptile. Somewhere around 1,000 to 1,100 years BC, just before or during the reign of the Chinese emperor Shun (associated with the Shang Dynasty: 1,765 - 1,123 BC), a chronicle thought to be the world's oldest geography was composed. Called the Shan Hai King, the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", it has been dismissed as a work of pure fantasy. Only 18 condensed volumes of he original 32 have survived to this day. None of the mountains described in this book have ever been located in China, even thought they were extensively sought as early as the third century BC.

The book itself is a collection of eye-witness accounts of travels undertaken between mountain peaks, and across seas traveled to reach those peaks. The accounts seem to be quite factual, even though they contain the odd imaginative extravagance.

In a section identified as "Overseas", and a portion captioned "The Classic of the Eastern Mountains", there is a brief mention of a mountain peak referred to as Ki-Chung Mountain. It is noted as being devoid of vegetation, and the home of "great serpents" (meaning 'reptiles'; I don't think they meant snakes) and "many precious stones". Since mountains located further to the north of this peak were lush with vegetation, one might suspect that this peak was a recently active volcano.

The ancient Chinese emperors are known to have sent naval expeditions far afield in their quest for precious stones. Most highly valued among all stones were the "star stones": meteorites. Their limited availability in any particular place was the driving force behind these expeditions.

It has often been suspected that these expeditions did indeed reach as far as North America.

Assuming for a moment that the ancient Chinese were indeed visiting North America by at least 1,000 BC, one would expect them to have taken note of any residual species of dinosaur that they encountered there. Indeed, 'dragons' play a much larger role in the iconography of Chinese emperors than they do anywhere else in the world. Knowledge of such creatures would have become widespread throughout China...and would have traveled along the trade routes that stretched from China to the Middle East.

I would thus suggest that some knowledge of the intelligent species of reptile that was endemic to North America in ancient times could have reached, by word of mouth between merchant-travelers, the area where Western phonetic forms of writing originated (the earliest, most primitive examples of the origins of phonetic writing yet found have been dated to around 1,900 BC, and do not even come close to constituting a complete alphabet).

This knowledge has been preserved to this day in the form of a story about a large group of reptiles completely opposed to a human dominion over the earth...creatures that were devoid of any of the more desirable qualities found in humanity, and so seen to be completely evil in nature. These creatures were associated with an underground existence, as well as with the heat, fire, and stench found in the vicinity of volcanos. They also had a bizarre sexual appetite which extended to (mountain) goats...based, no doubt, on an attraction to the smell of these animals.

So horrific were these creatures, that the rumor of their existence has haunted millenia of history half a world away from the places they actually inhabited. The story of the existence of these creatures evolved into that of the devil and its associated demons...and one can only guess how many people underwent inhuman tortures, and have had their lives destroyed or prematurely ended during the last two millenia, due to these beliefs of others: beliefs which were based upon the mere rumor of the existence of this intelligent species of reptile.

Even today, the English word 'shun' is widely used...with little obvious relation to the Chinese emperor Shun of 3,000 years ago.

(I am indebted here to the book "Pale Ink", by Henriette Mertz [1953], for information concerning the 'Shan Hai King').

Where Have I Seen This Before?

Having taken a look at the way in which the mere rumor of, and the slightest remains from, this intelligent species of reptile has seized hold of human imagination, I would like to take the lesson learned here about how stereotypes tend to function and apply it to a more recent situation.

In all of my contact with members of the First Nations of North America (in their communities, on their reservations; working for their communications societies, and with various groups dedicated to preserving their sacred lands), I have always found that they are the friendliest, most generous, and kindest people one could ever hope to meet. I have come to the conclusion that the uncounted millenia of their struggles against the intelligent species of reptile which once dominated North America produced, in the First Nations, societies and a culture in which other humans were always gladly met and treated with compassion and respect. This is certainly the kind of culture that the first Europeans to visit North America encountered.

I do not believe that accepted notions about widespread inter-tribal warfare are true; I think that the model of "The Great Peace" is a much more accurate account of the First Nations societies and culture prior to the arrival of the first Europeans.

Why, then, have we produced such negative stereotypes of the First Nations? I am convinced that it is due to a chain of events that occurred following the first contacts between Europeans and the First Nations...events that were caused by the Europeans.

We know that the people of the First Nations were very vulnerable to the commonest diseases carried by the first Europeans to arrive in North America. We are beginning to realize how devastating an effect such diseases had upon the First Nations in North America...beginning with the first Spanish expeditions that landed in Florida. We are starting to suspect that Europeans never had much of an opportunity to encounter the culture of the First Nations as it existed BEFORE waves of epidemics severely damaged their societies. What, then, did the majority of European settlers encounter?

Consider, for a moment, what would happen in any major North American city today under similar circumstances: an epidemic breaks out that, within three to ten days, kills 90% of the people in that city. Only the strongest and healthiest survive; generally, this means people in their late teens. What would you expect to see from a group of teenagers who had witnessed their elders and younger siblings all die in so short a period? What aspects of their culture would remain intact? Kept isolated from any outside contact, what would the society that they managed to maintain be like after a decade or two? I think that what you can imagine coming out of a scenario like this one would be far worse than anything you have ever heard about the First Nations in their early contacts with European settlers.

This is the sort of situation that occurred at, and was encountered along, the edges of early European settlements in North America. It in no way reflects the depth and complexity of First Nations society and culture that existed prior to, and continued to exist in areas isolated from, European contact. Yet, due to the nature and effects of the early colonists' anti-Aboriginal propaganda, this is the sort of situation upon which present day stereotypes about the First Nations are based. These stereotypes, re-enforced by Hollywood's nostalgia for idealized and fictionalized histories, are the images of the First Nations that persist to this day. These portrayals are completely inaccurate, and have done (and continue to do) an incredible amount of damage to the people of the First Nations.

Far too many people to this day base their perceptions of First Nations members upon these fictionalized stereotypes. The true culture of the First Nations, maintained to this day from areas where contact with early European settlers was minimal or non-existent, is nothing like what the fictionalized, stereotypical versions would have us believe. And today, the worst part of what has happened is that modern North Americans still hold these stereotypes as a supposedly 'accurate' reference underlying their understanding of First Nations members. The First Nations, very much aware of who and how they really are, all too often find themselves being treated like these stereotypes, which were based upon small groups of people who, through misfortunes that were no fault of their own, never had the opportunity to truly express the real nature of First Nations culture.

If you are at all interested in my research, I urge you to forget any of the prejudicial stereotypes that you've inadvertently acquired; and I encourage you to make contact with members of the First Nations of North America. They really are the nicest people you'll ever meet! Find out about the problems that these stereotypes have caused, and continue to cause, for the First Nations. Try to help find ways the First Nations can overcome these problems: even a small effort to help will make a big difference if enough people make this effort to help.

And remember this: whereas modern Western culture has seen fit to dispense with God, the ancient culture of the First Nations saw fit to dispense with the devil and all its attendant demons (and, with only stone weapons to achieve this with). What other people can claim to have rendered humanity such an incalculably valuable service? Consider: at the least, if this intelligent species of reptile had still been endemic to North America when the first European settlers arrived, it is unlikely the early colonists would have decided to seek independence from England...and the United States of America would never have come into being. And, had this intelligent species of reptile been left to develop to the point where it was capable of leaving North America, and had spread throughout the world...

A higher resolution look at the flat-headed species of this creature. This photo was taken by firelight, and also presents a beautiful image of a North American horse...proving that it was indeed sculpted by humans (since it would have had to have been produced beside a fire).
(These firelight photos were taken using 100 ASA film and a tripod; with an exposure of one second, at the smallest aperture available to me [f22], for maximum depth of field [focus]. If you don't have a cable release for your shutter handy, just use your camera's self timer).

A look under sunlight at the firelight version of the image presented above.

A closer look at the sunlight version of the image presented above, from another angle.

A higher resolution look at another species of this creature. In this aspect, you can see a sculpted view that shows the creature's brain. This image was photographed under sunlight.

I am not an unreasonable person. IF you agree to use ALL the text presented on my "Intelligent Species of Reptile" page, THEN you may ALSO use my images of intelligent species of reptiles. This permission does not extend to commercial use; and, in any case, you will still have to credit my work: "Copyright 2000 by John Morton, on behalf of the First Nations of North America".

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(the photo guide).