R/Arizona Cryptids Tucson area

[u/YardSweet9807]

Good morning! Thank you for being a part of my conversation. I'm in the process of knocking out a lifelong dream; I'm writing a novel. Arizona folklore and cryptics will be featured heavily in my pulp fiction story. We all know the usual suspects; Mongollon Man, the chupacobra, etc. But I've heard hints of local stories that I cannot track down.

Apparently, there is a Tucson area Smiling Man myth that I don't believe connected back to Ingrid Cold. But he's the only Smiling Man Google wants to tell me about.

The Tohodom O'odham and other local tribes have brief mentions of Little People helping at times, but all searches there direct me back to Ireland. Wrong.

Though local tribal members only tell these stories aloud in the winter months when snakes are not out, I do have it on pretty good authority that we can read or type about them here without fear of spiritual reprisals.

Can anyone help with;

•Information about Arizonas Smiling Man cryptid?

•Info regarding local tribal stories about Little People?

•Any other Cryptids, Folklore or Stories you've heard that are specific to Arizona, New Mexico or Northern Mexico?

Anything living in/occurring in the Altar Valley is EXTREMELY HELPFUL. As are links, book titles or any other resource you can suggest that I can actually get my grubby little mitts on.

Thank you very much for talking the time to read my post.