Indigenous Communities Obtain Rights to Ogopogo, Canada’s ‘Cousin’ of the Loch Ness Monster, for One Dollar | International

Ogopogo supposedly lives in the waters of Okanagan Lake in the Canadian province of British Columbia. This plesiosaur or giant horse-headed snake -according to testimony- is the version in this North American country of Nessie, the famous Scottish creature. Vernon city councilors voted unanimously last week to transfer Ogopogo rights to a group of local natives; the transaction took place in exchange for one dollar.

In this way, the Okanagan Nations Alliance, made up of eight indigenous communities, obtains the copyright, title, interest and ownership of this monster also affectionately nicknamed Oggy. “It’s just the most understandable thing. The story comes from these groups and it makes perfect sense that they have these rights,” he said. The Canadian Press Victor Cumming, Alcalde of Vernon.

The indigenous people of the region hold that the creature has been part of their spiritual teachings for centuries and call it Naitaka, which means “to be holy in water” in the Syilx language. The name Ogopogo came into use in the early 20th century in reference to British song lyrics. In 1990, the Federal Post issued a postage stamp in honor of this mysterious lake animal. The most recent sighting, according to the local press, dates from May 2019. Experts have pointed out that the testimonies are explained by water currents or by the behavior of certain animals, such as otters.

Vernon (about 440 kilometers from Vancouver) received the rights to Ogopogo as a gift in 1956, three years after they were first recorded by a resident. The authorities of this city indicated that they were never used for commercial purposes; they only gave approval for the monster to appear in two children’s books, but without any compensation. A new request – received in March – for Ogopogo to appear in another children’s play generated a meeting with indigenous groups. The leaders of these communities were unaware that the city of Vernon had such rights and raised the issue of cultural appropriation; They said it was “unacceptable” for third parties to record this element of their traditions as their own.

Ogopogo, or Naitaka, is one of a long list of creatures from the stories of Indigenous peoples in Canada and taken up by European colonizers. The Sasquatch, being of abundant fur, and the Waheela, a gigantic wolf, are two of them. In fact, the Loch Ness Monster also has other Canadian “cousins”. Memphré swims in the Quebec waters of Lake Memphremagog, about 140 kilometers from Montreal. For its part, Manipogo (Gichi Ginebig in the Anishinaabe language) is domiciled in the depths of Lake Manitoba.

Subscribe here to the EL PAÍS América newsletter and receive all the key information on the region’s news