Forest Person
The Forest Person, known in Tlingit as Kooshdaa kaa or Kushtaka (land otter man), is a shape-shifting spirit from Pacific Northwest indigenous mythology, particularly among the Tlingit people whose territory extends from southeastern Alaska into Canada. These powerful supernatural beings straddle the boundary between human and animal, living where forest meets shore. According to Tlingit creation stories, the Great Raven granted the Land Otter the gift of duality, illusion, and disguise, charging them with preserving the souls of those who drowned, as drowning was considered the most horrible