The Sacred Valley Buried The Mystery Of "Headless People": 44 Cases In A Hundred Years

Canada's Northwest Territories are truly one of the wildest places on Earth, where there’s a place called Nahanni Valley, in which a number of myths and mysteries are hidden with rumors of "Headless Valley Bodies".

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This wild valley is not only inhospitable due to its rugged terrain, weather and wildlife, but also known a number of unexplained stories. Over the decades, there have been unfortunate travelers and adventurers who have gone missing, some of which were even found beheaded.
The ever-increasing number of bodies found in the Nahanni valley has earned it the nickname "The valley of headless men".

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Few people know that the valley was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1978. In fact, it was one of the first four natural heritage sites to be recognized.
Due to its remote location, the Nahanni valley has remained largely untouched through the centuries. Historically, the land around the valley was inhabited by the indigenous Dene tribe.

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According to stories passed down through the generations, there has been another tribe here called the Naha.

The tribe vanished without a trace

It is said that the Naha were a hostile tribe living in the high mountains who descended to the plains to ravage and kill, becoming the Dene’s main enemy.

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However, according to lores, the Naha tracelessly disappeared. Theories are that they have migrated elsewhere, died slowly of diseases, or simply chose to live in seclusion, which are all just speculation.
Later, strange deaths and disappearances in the Nahanni valley rekindled the mystery surrounding this place. The most notable place is "200 Mile Gorge", which was said to contain an unknown demon, according to the natives.

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The origin of this strange nickname can be traced back to the Klondike Gold Rush in the early 20th century, when people wanting to try their luck went to the remote Canadian wilderness, especially the Yukon.
Two brothers from the Métis background named Willie and Frank McLeod were among those people. In 1906, the brothers took a canoe upstream to the Nahanni Valley, and that was the last time they were seen alive.

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Two years later, a search team discovered their skeletons, both of which were headless. Apparently, they were sleeping when being attacked. Meanwhile, one of their companions named Weir had gone missing.
From here on, the mysteries become more and more thrilling. Who was the culprit? What did the McLeods encounter? Rumors began to spread, and many theories were put forward.

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Looking for the explanation

An article from the February 15, 1947 issues of "Deseret News", titled " Headless Valley Myths Dispelled", attempted to debunk all the mysteries and find out the logic for the murders here. However, much of the article's content was just conjecture without any basis.
In 1927, another body was discovered in Nahanni, belonging to a man nicknamed "Yukon" Fisher. The man was wanted for several years before his body was found on the banks of Bennett Creek, quite close to where the McLeod brothers were found in 1908. The cause of death has never been clarified.

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Since then, mysterious deaths have kept occurring in the valley. In 1945, a miner from Ontario was found dead in his sleeping bag with the head never found.
In the end, no one can accurately explain the creepy events that inside the Nahanni valley, where up to 44 people have died or gone missing since 1908. Strange stories have made the valley a dull place.

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Others say that the Nahanni valley is the entrance to the "Hollow Earth". In fact, there are many underground caves here, with an estimated number of 250 discovered, along with several unexplored.
However, Nahanni remains a land of history, where people are still trying to reveal its secret.
H/T: The Outdoor Journal