Chris Barrera was born on the Rosebud reservation in South Dakota, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and trained as a Navy Corpsman. He was then signed to the Second Marine Division, Marine Corps East. After receiving an honorable discharge, Chris enrolled and attended Sinte Gleska University with an emphasis in criminal justice. He was then recruited out of school and hired by the Rosebud law enforcement services as a patrol officer. He was quickly promoted into the criminal investigations division, beginning a long career investigating federal major crimes.
Chris attended criminal investigation school in Glenco, Georgia, at the federal law-enforcement training center, becoming a special agent. He attended many agency-wide trainings, including the federal firearms instructor program, and was later assigned to the Northern Plains Drug Task Force with the FBI, which included several state, tribal, and federal agencies, combating drug trafficking in South Dakota. In the course of his duties, he became involved with the Bigfoot world, and is the founder of Bigfoot South Dakota.