Jack Fiddler

Early Life and Leadership

Jack Fiddler was born in the 1830s or early 1840s in the boreal forests near Sandy Lake, Deer Lake, and North Spirit Lake along the upper Severn River. His father, Peemeecheekag, was a respected political and spiritual leader who had been adopted into the Sucker clan during the previous century, and he was a mysterious figure from the east. The Sucker people were allied with the Pelican and Sturgeon clans and had contact with the Cranes, all speaking a distinct Oji-Cree dialect of the Anishinaabe language. Fiddler grew up during a period of economic hardship for his people, as over-trapping for the fur trade in previous centuries had left the boreal forests of Northern Ontario depleted of animals. With declining fur numbers and lower demand, the Hudson's Bay Company abandoned its post at Island Lake for much of the early 19th century, forcing the Suckers to travel to Big Trout Lake or Little Grand Rapids for trade. As a young man, Fiddler likely worked on the York boats bringing furs to York Factory on Hudson Bay, which gave him experience with the trading network.

By the 1860s, the number of fur-bearing animals increased enough for the HBC to re-open the Island Lake post, and Fiddler emerged as one of the leaders of the Sucker people. During his brief visits to the posts, he developed the ability to fiddle and built quality instruments, which became a notable trait. HBC traders frequently gave English nicknames to individual Natives and designated whole clans by the name of a primary leader or an arbitrary English surname. Thus, the Sturgeons were known to traders as the Rae or Mamakeesick family, the Pelicans after their leader Meekis, and the Cranes after Kakegamic and Kakepetum. Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow and his brother Pesequan became Jack and Joseph Fiddler, and from 1887 he was often listed in HBC records by that name, with the Suckers appearing as the Fiddler tribe. After his father's death in 1891, Jack Fiddler became the leader of the Sandy Lake people and allied groups nearby, some 100 or 120 individuals in all, and he was also influential among others who lived at a distance. Jack Fiddler took five wives: Kakakwesic, Nakwasasive, Nocome, Kaopasanakitiyat, and Kayakatopicicikec and had 13 children, comprising eight sons and five daughters, with polygamy being a common practice out of necessity in a dangerous environment where young men often died.

Role as Shaman and Wendigo Confronter

Central to Jack Fiddler's leadership were his shamanistic powers, which were crucial for any headman in his isolated society where Western thought was quite alien. He was famed for his alleged ability to conjure animals, cure illness, and protect his people from malevolent spells, with many legends of his cures becoming entrenched in the oral history of his people. His most critical and renowned power was his capacity to confront and defeat the wendigo, a cannibalistic spirit believed to possess people during times of severe famine, disease, or psychological distress. The belief in windigos was universal across the boreal forest, and a wendigo's presence was thought to frighten all game away and thus threaten the entire community with starvation, and its cry was believed to leave people unconscious and helpless. Fiddler himself told the Methodist minister Edward Paupanekis, a Cree, that he had defeated fourteen windigos during his lifetime, a claim that defined his reputation.

These confrontations followed a specific cultural logic within a community that had almost no government imposition on legal and religious matters. Some wendigos were believed to have been sent against his people by enemy shamans, while others were members of his own band who were taken with an insatiable, incurable desire to eat human flesh. In cases where a person felt themselves losing control to this rapacious spirit, they or their family would often request a merciful death to prevent transformation, and sometimes the individual would ask to be euthanized according to the necessary rites. Fiddler and his brother Joseph were the individuals typically called upon to perform this euthanasia, and even the blood of a dead windigo was considered dangerous, so corpses would often be burnt. This practice, while horrifying to outsiders, was a deeply embedded social and spiritual mechanism for dealing with extreme crisis, and Fiddler's own brother, Peter Flett, was killed after the food ran out on a trading expedition. HBC traders, Cree, and missionaries were well aware of the Wendigo legend, though they often explained it as mental illness or superstition, and Fiddler was approached multiple times by Cree ministers at Island Lake and asked to bring Christianity to his people, which he respectfully heard but did not accept.

Arrest and Imposition of Canadian Law

In 1906, word reached the Royal North-West Mounted Police of a "band of pagan Indians" who were in the habit of killing one another whenever one got delirious through fever or other causes. A patrol was dispatched in early 1907 to investigate, and as they approached Sandy Lake they learned from Norman Rae (Minowapawin), an in-law of the Fiddlers whose wife was one of the Sucker people, that Jack and Joseph had destroyed a windigo the previous year. The patrol continued to the Sucker camp at Caribou (Deer) Lake and on June 15, 1907, arrested the two elderly brothers for the murder of Wahsakapeequay, Joseph's daughter-in-law, who had been killed the year before. For most of the Sucker people, the Mounties were the first white men they had ever seen, and before leaving, the police took an eyewitness and declared that each man must give up any extra wives, directly challenging their social customs.

The brothers were transported to Norway House in Manitoba to await trial, held there for weeks. The case quickly captured national attention by August 1907, with newspapers like the Toronto Globe printing sensational headlines such as "Dark Deeds of Keewatin Indians, They Strangle and Burn Sick Friends." Public sentiment across Canada largely demanded convictions, while the police conducting the trial saw an opportunity for fame and advancement. Meanwhile, those familiar with the context, including some Mounties and missionaries, advocated for leniency. RNWMP superintendent Gilbert Edward Sanders recommended that the prosecution be dropped, writing that it appeared the evidence would not warrant a conviction. Sergeant David Bennett Smith of the Norway House detachment reported that Jack Fiddler was very old and fell down with weak heart and pulse, and Methodist missionary Joseph Albert George Lousley described him as having not the slightest sign of enmity and as a quiet dignified man who had lived his life with a clear conscience.

Death of Jack Fiddler and Trial of Joseph

After fifteen weeks of captivity, Jack Fiddler escaped during a supervised walk outside on September 30, 1907. He hanged himself nearby and was found dead later that same day. His suicide was a direct response to the impending trial and the incomprehensible legal system he faced, and he was noted as being in poor health, with Sergeant Smith observing his heart and pulse were very weak. Joseph Fiddler still stood trial, however, and the legal proceedings continued without his brother. The eyewitness, Angus Rae, testified that Wahsakapeequay was killed while in deep pain and incurably sick according to the custom of the people who were not aware of Canadian law. Pressed on the wendigo issues, Rae admitted that it was a belief among his people and that Jack and Joseph were the ones who were usually asked to euthanize the very sick and prevent wendigos.

Despite this testimony and pleas from local missionaries and HBC traders, stipendiary magistrate Aylesworth Perry convicted Joseph Fiddler and sentenced him to death. Further appeals eventually secured his release, but the order came three days after his death in custody in 1909. The deaths of both brothers effectively ended the Sucker people's autonomy, forcing them to accept the authority of the Canadian government and its legal framework. The trial established a precedent that Canadian criminal law would be enforced in the region, regardless of Indigenous customary practices or spiritual beliefs.

Aftermath and Modern Descendants

The loss of their most prominent spiritual and political leaders left the Sucker people of the upper Severn River with no choice but to accept government rule. In 1910, Robert Fiddler, Jack's son, signed an addition to Treaty 5 as "chief of the Deer Lake Band" and chose to settle at Deer Lake, formalizing their relationship with the Crown. Later, several families including the Fiddlers, moved to Sandy Lake and became part of Treaty 9, integrating into the reserve system. This transition marked the end of their traditional nomadic lifestyle and their legal independence, as they were now subject to the Indian Act and federal administration.

Today, most of the descendants of Jack Fiddler live in the Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario. Other descendants live at the Deer Lake First Nation and North Spirit Lake First Nation in Ontario. Some also live on the three reserves at Island Lake in Manitoba. The story of Jack Fiddler remains a significant part of local oral history. His arrest and suicide marked the beginning of Canadian law being imposed on his people. This event is a case study in the clash between Indigenous custom and state law.

• Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario is home to many of his descendants and is located near his original territory, with several families moving there after the treaty process.
• Deer Lake First Nation in Ontario, the site of the 1907 arrest, also has community members descended from the Fiddler family, as it was the initial settlement chosen under Treaty 5.
• North Spirit Lake First Nation in Ontario is another community with ties to the Sucker people from the upper Severn region, part of the traditional territory.
• In Manitoba, descendants can be found in the three reserves at Island Lake: Garden Hill First Nation, St. Theresa Point First Nation, and Wasagamack First Nation, which was a central trading post for the group for decades.

Cultural Depictions and Historical Significance

The story of Jack Fiddler has been preserved and examined through various scholarly and popular mediums, ensuring his legacy extends beyond academic circles. The 1985 book Killing the Shamen, by Thomas Fiddler (a descendant) and James R. Stevens, is a key historical and biographical work that draws on oral tradition. His life is also documented in Volume XIII of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, providing a detailed scholarly account. In popular culture, his legend as a "wendigo hunter" has inspired documentary films like Jack Fiddler: The Real-Life Wendigo Hunter and numerous podcasts and online articles, often focusing on the dramatic aspects of his shamanistic role. These depictions, while sometimes sensationalized, have helped bring his story to a wider audience and sparked interest in Oji-Cree history.

Historically, the arrest and death of Jack Fiddler symbolize a definitive end to an era of Indigenous self-governance in a remote part of Canada. His people were among the last in North America to live entirely under their own legal and spiritual systems, with the first Methodist missionary, Reverend Frederick George Stevens, visiting for only two days in 1899 and few speaking any English. The event demonstrated the Canadian state's determination to extend its legal authority uniformly across its territory, regardless of local cultural contexts or the recommendations of its own agents on the ground. For many, Fiddler's story is not one of criminality but of a leader upholding his sacred duty to protect his community from spiritual and physical threat, ultimately becoming a casualty of colonial expansion. The legal precedent set by his case facilitated the subsequent treaty adhesions and the integration of his people into the Canadian administrative framework, altering their way of life permanently.

The Fiddler Name and Clan Identity

The adoption of the surname "Fiddler" for Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow and his clan is a specific example of how Hudson's Bay Company record-keeping shaped external perceptions of Indigenous groups. Traders frequently assigned English nicknames to individuals for ease of identification, and they often designated whole clans by the name of a primary leader or an arbitrary English surname. In this system, the Sturgeon clan was known to traders and later Canadian authorities by the surname Rae or Mamakeesick, the Pelicans after their leader Meekis, and the Cranes after their leaders Kakegamic and Kakepetum. Jack Fiddler's people, the Sucker doodem, were thus recorded as the Fiddler tribe, reportedly because they had started to carve fiddles like the ones they saw at company posts.

This naming practice had lasting consequences for official documentation and treaty processes. When Jack's son Robert signed the Treaty 5 adhesion in 1910, he did so under the name Fiddler, cementing its use in government records. The name also appears in subsequent treaty negotiations and in the establishment of the Deer Lake and Sandy Lake bands. This external labeling, while practical for traders and officials, often overshadowed the group's own identity as the Sucker people and their traditional names, creating a disconnect between their self-conception and their administrative classification. The persistence of the Fiddler name in historical accounts and among descendants today is a direct result of this 19th-century colonial practice.

Geographical and Economic Context

The traditional territory of Jack Fiddler's Sucker people was centred on the lake systems of the upper Severn River drainage basin in what is now northwestern Ontario. This region includes Sandy Lake, Deer Lake (also known as Caribou Lake), and North Spirit Lake, all located within the boreal forest. The area's isolation was a defining feature, with the nearest Hudson's Bay Company post at Island Lake (in present-day Manitoba) being closed from 1844 until its re-establishment in the late 1860s. During this closure, which lasted for much of the early 19th century, the Sucker people were forced to undertake long and difficult journeys for trade, travelling to Big Trout Lake to the north or Little Grand Rapids to the southeast to obtain hunting supplies and other goods.

The local economy was entirely based on hunting, trapping, and fishing, with the fur trade being the primary link to the outside world. The depletion of fur-bearing animals due to over-trapping in earlier centuries created periods of scarcity and hardship for the community. When the HBC re-opened the Island Lake post, it became the central trading location for Fiddler's group for the rest of his life. The following table illustrates the key geographical points in the Sucker people's economic and social world during Fiddler's lifetime, showing the distances and relationships that shaped their existence.

The Sucker people lived in the remote boreal forests near Sandy Lake, Deer Lake, and North Spirit Lake. The Hudson's Bay Company had abandoned its nearest post at Island Lake for much of the early 19th century. This forced the people to travel long distances to Big Trout Lake or Little Grand Rapids to trade. Their contact with outsiders like missionaries and government authorities was minimal. This isolation allowed them to live under their own law and custom until the Mounties arrived in 1907.

Questions about Jack Fiddler

Who was Jack Fiddler and why is he important in Canadian history?

Jack Fiddler, also known as Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow, was an ogimaa, meaning chief and shaman, of the Sucker clan among the Anishinaabe in northwestern Ontario. He is important because his arrest in 1907 for the alleged murder of a wendigo and his suicide before trial marked the beginning of the imposition of Canadian law on the Sucker People. Until then, his people had been among the last aboriginal peoples in North America living completely under their own law and custom. His case illustrates a direct clash between Indigenous customary law and Canadian jurisdiction.

What is a wendigo and what was Fiddler's connection to it?

A wendigo is a cannibalistic spirit from Anishinaabe belief, said to possess people during times of famine, disease, or psychological distress, driving them to eat human flesh. Its cry was believed to leave people unconscious and its presence would frighten game away. Jack Fiddler was renowned as a shaman for his alleged ability to confront and defeat wendigos. He claimed to have defeated fourteen in his lifetime, often involving the euthanasia of individuals considered incurably sick or transforming, a practice requested by families to protect the wider community from starvation and spiritual danger.

Why was Jack Fiddler arrested?

Jack Fiddler and his brother Joseph were arrested by the Royal North-West Mounted Police on June 15, 1907, at their camp at Deer Lake. They were charged with the murder of Wahsakapeequay, Joseph's daughter-in-law, who had been killed the previous year. The police acted on information received about the community's practice of killing individuals considered wendigos. The arrest was a deliberate effort to introduce Canadian law in the North, and the Mounties were the first white men most of the Sucker people had ever seen.

How did Jack Fiddler die?

Jack Fiddler died by suicide on September 30, 1907, while awaiting trial at Norway House, Manitoba. After fifteen weeks in captivity, and in reported poor health, he escaped during a supervised walk outside and hanged himself nearby. His body was found later that same day. His death was a direct response to his imprisonment and the alien legal proceedings he faced, and it occurred before he could stand trial.

What happened to Jack Fiddler's people after his death?

After the deaths of Jack and his brother Joseph, the Sucker people lost their primary leaders and were compelled to accept Canadian government authority. In 1910, Jack's son Robert Fiddler signed an adhesion to Treaty 5 as chief of the Deer Lake Band, choosing to settle at Deer Lake. Later, many families, including the Fiddlers, moved to Sandy Lake and came under Treaty 9. Their descendants now primarily live in the Sandy Lake First Nation, Deer Lake First Nation, and North Spirit Lake First Nation in Ontario, and in the Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, and Wasagamack First Nations at Island Lake in Manitoba.

Where can I learn more about Jack Fiddler's story?

A key source is the book Killing the Shamen by Thomas Fiddler and James R. Stevens. His biography is also available in Volume XIII of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography online. His story has been featured in various documentaries like Jack Fiddler: The Real-Life Wendigo Hunter, podcasts, and articles that explore his role as a shaman and the legal case. These resources provide historical context from both scholarly and community perspectives, including Oji-Cree oral history.

Sources and further reading

• Jack Fiddler (Wikipedia)
• ZHAUWUNO-GEEZHIGO-GAUBOW (Maisaninnine, ... (biographi.ca)

Checked by the Novello Desserts desk. Last updated 2026-10-30.