Summary

“Choctaw Bigfoot, Midnight in the Mountains” by Tim Tingle is narrated by a young Native American. The narrator is enjoying a Saturday afternoon “sitting under the trees in the backyard of Mawmaw, my Choctaw grandmother” (105). The large family is gathered for a weekly meal. The narrator’s mother tells the children to disregard anything Uncle Kenneth says. Curious, the narrator heads over to Uncle Kenneth, who begins telling the narrator about Bohpoli, “those Choctaw little people” (106). Uncle Kenneth refers to the narrator as Turtle Kid, and explains the Bohpoli are like tricksters, who can be invisible at will. He launches into a story about the Chukma family, and how they came upon a “big, hairy” creature known as Naloosha Chitto (108). Naloosha Chitto attempts to attack the family, and they begin a chase through the woods.

Meanwhile, many cousins gather...