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Episode 291: Jack Fiddler was a chief and shaman among the Anishinaabe in northwestern Ontario. Born around 1839, he became renowned for his abilities in white magic, particularly his claimed power to defeat the Wendigo, a cannibalistic spirit. Fiddler asserted that he had vanquished fourteen Wendigos during his lifetime. Some of these were believed to be sent by enemy shamans, while others were individuals from his community who developed an uncontrollable craving for human flesh. Families often asked him to euthanize a gravely ill loved one to prevent them from becoming Wendigo.\nIn 1907, the North-West Mounted Police arrested Jack and his brother Joseph Fiddler for the alleged murder of a woman believed to have turned Wendigo. The arrest was part of a broader effort to impose Canadian law on Indigenous communities. The story garnered significant media attention, with many newspapers sensationalizing the events. Jack Fiddler died by suicide while in custody, and although Joseph went to trial and was convicted, he passed away in 1909, shortly before an order for his release arrived.\nSources:\nKilling the Shamen : Fiddler, Thomas | Internet Archive\nWindigo | The Canadian Encyclopedia\nWendigo Lore by Chad Lewis and Kevin Lee Nelson\nCanadian Mysteries of the Unexplained by John Marlowe - Ebook\nDangerous Spirits: The Windigo in Myth and History - Ebook\nBiography \u2013 ZHAUWUNO-GEEZHIGO-GAUBOW \u2013 Volume XIII (1901-1910) \u2013 Dictionary of Canadian Biography\nBiography \u2013 PEEMEECHEEKAG \u2013 Volume XII (1891-1900) \u2013 Dictionary of Canadian Biography\n(PDF) Wendigo Psychosis\nThe Windigo in the Material World on JSTOR\nThe Power to Punish: Conflicts of Authority in the Case of Jack Fiddler | Deborah Rose Pe\xf1a | The Hypocrite Reader\nWindigo of First Nations oral tradition \u2014 fearsome and loathsome creature\nFree Press Prairie Farmer 23 Oct 1907, page 8\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices