John Shiwak
Encyclopedia
John Shiwak born Rigolet
, Labrador
, Canada
and died at Masnieres
, France
, when a German
shell exploded killing him and six of his fellow soldiers during the First World War. He was a member of the Newfoundland Regiment and noted as one the best sniper
s in the British
forces during the war.
Shiwak, an Inuit
, lived at Cul-de-Sac, a small community near Rigolet, at the entrance to Lake Melville
. According to family lore, the family name was changed from Sikoak, an Inuit word meaning thin ice, by Dr. Harry Paddon of the Grenfell Mission
to Shiwak. He was a hunter in the far interior of Labrador and also of the Labrador Sea
near his hometown, where he learned to handle a rifle.
Shiwak had joined the Legion of Frontiersmen
, a paramilitary organization that had been founded in Great Britain
in 1905 and had set up operations in Newfoundland and Labrador
in 1911. In 1915 Shiwak left Rigolet for St. John's
and enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment. During his time in the war his superiors recognised his abilities as a sharp shooter and he was promoted to Lance Corporal
. As part of the mission to clear pockets of resistance near Cambrai
, on November 20, 1917, the regiment was engaged in an assault on the French village of Masnieres when a German shell exploded killing seven, including Shiwak.
Rigolet, Newfoundland and Labrador
Rigolet is a remote, coastal Labrador Inuit community established in 1735 by French-Canadian trader Louis Fornel....
, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and died at Masnieres
Masnières
-References:*...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, when a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
shell exploded killing him and six of his fellow soldiers during the First World War. He was a member of the Newfoundland Regiment and noted as one the best sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces during the war.
Shiwak, an Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, lived at Cul-de-Sac, a small community near Rigolet, at the entrance to Lake Melville
Lake Melville
Lake Melville is a saltwater tidal extension of Hamilton Inlet on the Labrador coast in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Comprising 3,069 square kilometres, and stretching 140 kilometres inland to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, it forms part of the largest estuary in the province,...
. According to family lore, the family name was changed from Sikoak, an Inuit word meaning thin ice, by Dr. Harry Paddon of the Grenfell Mission
Grenfell Mission
Grenfell Mission is a medical and religious mission founded by Sir Wilfred Grenfell in the late 19th century in St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador....
to Shiwak. He was a hunter in the far interior of Labrador and also of the Labrador Sea
Labrador Sea
The Labrador Sea is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, and northeast. It connects to the north with Baffin Bay through the Davis Strait...
near his hometown, where he learned to handle a rifle.
Shiwak had joined the Legion of Frontiersmen
Legion of Frontiersmen
The Legion of Frontiersmen is a paramilitary group formed in Britain in 1905 by Roger Pocock, a former Constable with the North-West Mounted Police and Boer War veteran, with its roots firmly set in another era, to bolster the defensive capacity of the British Empire...
, a paramilitary organization that had been founded in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1905 and had set up operations in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
in 1911. In 1915 Shiwak left Rigolet for St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
and enlisted in the Newfoundland Regiment. During his time in the war his superiors recognised his abilities as a sharp shooter and he was promoted to Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
. As part of the mission to clear pockets of resistance near Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, on November 20, 1917, the regiment was engaged in an assault on the French village of Masnieres when a German shell exploded killing seven, including Shiwak.
See also
External links
- John Shiwak Royal Newfoundland Regiment
- Indian and Northern Affairs mention of John Shiwak
- Baker Lake students honour an Inuk war hero John Shiwak
- John Shiwak - An Inuit Frontiersman by Dean Bruckshaw, Historian & Archivist (Canada), Legion of Frontiersmen (Countess Mountbatten's Own)
- Photo of John Shiwak
- Lance Corporal John Shiwak from the "Canadian Great War Project"