Referred to as the best sniper in the British Army by those who served beside him, Lance Corporal John Shiwak (1889-1917) bravely served and lost his life during the First World War. As a proud Inuit member of the Newfoundland Regiment his story would have been all but lost, if not for the works of William Lacey Amy and the testimony from his trusted companions.

Although L/Cpl Shiwak was considered to be a relatively shy person, many thought of him as a good friend. As time progressed, Shiwak became highly regarded for his proficiencies as a sniper and scout. His attributes and skills allowed him continued success in the field, both from his original combat introduction during the early days of the Somme, right up until his appearance at the battle of Cambrai.

While many of the remaining memories of L/Cpl Shiwak are clouded by time and conflict, this trapper, artist, writer, and poet, often found himself questioning the continued violence of war. Unfortunately, the remains of Lance Corporal John Shiwak have not yet been recovered. His memory is honoured at the Beaumont Hamel war monument.

Note: The Shiwak family was originally named “Sikoak” before being changed by white settlers for unclear reasons. Although John presented himself with the surname “Shiwak”, notably signing a letter dated August 24, 1914 with this name, the fact remains that his surname was changed in a particular context where it is difficult to assess the consent of all parties. For the sake of consistency, we’ve decided to continue referring to him by this name, but we invite you to read this very interesting article by his great-nephew, Jason Sikoak, who made efforts to change his name.

Re-printed here with the permission of Valour Canada as part of a collaboration between JMS and Valour Canada. To see more articles like this one, check out their Military History Library. Modified and enriched by Julien Lehoux, June 13, 2025, for Je me souviens.

Sources:

• Read the original article here and their supplementary article here.
• “Lance Corporal John Shiwak“, Gouvernement du Canada/Government of Canada.
• “John Shiwak“, L’Encyclopédie canadienne/The Canadian Encyclopedia.
• “SHIWAK (Sikoak), JOHN“, Dictionnaire biographique du Canada/Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

To learn more about the Lance Corporal, please click here to view Valour Canada’s video describing Shiwak’s life.