Podcast Summary: Camp Gagnon

Episode: The ONLY Wendigo The Government EVER Executed

Host: Mark Gagnon
Guest: Christos
Date: October 30, 2025

Overview

This episode of Camp Gagnon dives deep into the chilling legend and real-life case of Swift Runner, a Cree man who, in the winter of 1878-79, murdered and cannibalized his own family in what he and some in his culture believed was an act of “Wendigo possession.” Host Mark Gagnon unpacks not just the historical true crime, but also the cultural, spiritual, and psychological dimensions behind one of Canada’s darkest folklore stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Wendigo in Cree Tradition (00:00–16:30)

• Intro to the Wendigo:
  Mark introduces the legend of the Wendigo—a spirit of “corruption” and “insatiable hunger,” central to Cree and other Algonquian folklore. The Wendigo is not merely a monster, but a metaphysical warning about the dangers faced in winter, especially the taboo of cannibalism.

  • Description: “...gaunt, tall, slender, skeletal...skin stretched tight over its bones...gray-colored...sometimes covered with frost...chewed its own lips away, teeth...fully exposed...” (06:00)
  • Behavior: Grows larger the more it eats, mimics voices/animal cries, stalks people in the hungriest, coldest times.
  • Cultural Function: “Survival depended on sharing food, sticking together, not turning on each other.” (11:20)

• Wendigo as Social Control:
  Mark points out that Wendigo stories are not just for scaring children—they enforce crucial communal rules in extreme conditions, discouraging acts of cannibalism with spiritual warnings.

The Story of Swift Runner (16:30–50:15)

• Swift Runner’s Background:
  Born Ka Ki Su Kuchin ("Swift Runner") in Alberta, 1839, he was a respected, strong Cree hunter and guide, even working for the Northwest Mounted Police.

  • “His reputation for reliability...caught the attention of the northwest mounted police.” (20:50)

• Downfall via Alcohol:
  Swift Runner’s spiral began after exposure to alcohol from European traders—turning from respected guide to violent outcast.

  • “He turned the Cree camps into little hells with his behavior. It finally reached a point where his own people literally kicked him out of the community.” (25:15)

• The Isolated Winter:
  In winter 1878-79, after being expelled, Swift Runner led his family deep into the wilderness, against all Cree teachings about the dangers of isolation.

  • “Being cut off from the community put Swift Runner’s family in a really dangerous position...risked not just the physical, but also spiritual danger.” (27:15)

• Descent into Horror, Wendigo "Possession":
  As food ran out, Swift Runner’s son died of starvation. Swift Runner later claimed that the grief and starvation allowed the Wendigo spirit to enter him, pressuring him in dreams “to consume the people around him.”

  • Quote: “A Wendigo spirit called on him to consume the people around him. The spirit crept through his mind, gradually taking control. Finally, he was Wendigo and Swift Runner no longer.” (30:10)

• Family Murders & Cannibalism:
  Swift Runner killed his wife, children, mother, and brother using a variety of methods and consumed their bodies, sometimes forcing one son to help before killing him too.

  • Quote: “The Wendigo forced one of Swift Runner’s boys to kill and butcher his younger brother.” (32:45)
  • Notable: Tools used to extract marrow; evidence of systematic butchery at the camp.

• Discovery & Investigation:
  Swift Runner walked into a Catholic mission in spring, claiming his family died of starvation, but was suspiciously healthy. Guided authorities to his camp, where “bones were scattered...deliberately broken open and prepared for consumption.” (36:40)

The Trial & Execution (50:15–1:04:15)

• Significance:
  First time a Cree man was tried for murder in a colonial court, using Wendigo possession as a defense. Jury was mixed Cree and white men who spoke Cree.

  • “The court also had no legal space to treat supernatural influence as a defense...” (53:00)

• Defense vs. Prosecution:

  • Defense: Claimed he was overtaken by a supernatural force, removed from personal responsibility.
  • Prosecution: Focused on physical evidence, alternative options for aid, and his deliberate actions.
    • “They emphasized that he had the knowledge and the ability to seek help from the Hudson’s Bay company, but had chosen instead to turn on his own family.” (54:15)

• Verdict and Execution:
  Jury convicted him in 20 minutes. Swift Runner became the first person executed in Alberta.

  • Quote (Swift Runner to hangman Rogers): “I could kill myself with a tomahawk and save the hangman any further trouble.” (1:00:30)
  • Notably, his body was not dismembered or heart burned per Cree tradition—meaning, in Cree belief, the Wendigo spirit was not destroyed.

Cultural and Psychological Reflection (1:04:15–1:19:00)

• Culture Clash:
  Swift Runner seen by colonial authorities as a criminal; by his community, both a criminal and a victim of supernatural/spiritual forces.

  • “The case just showed how far apart the indigenous and European worldviews really were. And probably still are to a certain extent.” (1:07:00)

• Purpose of the Legend:
  Mark muses on the dual purpose of myth: maybe it’s true, or maybe it’s a functional social rule to prevent survival cannibalism.

  • Quote: “If you get told this supernatural force...can possess your body and make you do the most unthinkable act ever, it keeps you very aware, and helps you stay away from it.” (1:12:00)

• Mental Illness vs. Possession:
  Mark questions whether Swift Runner’s case was alcoholism, psychosis, schizophrenia, or an overlap of all factors—while also leaving a sliver of openness to supernatural possibility.

  • “You fast for a couple days and you're out in the cold, like, you start to hear things. And then maybe he also has, like, this underlying psychological disorder.” (1:15:00)

• Pascal’s Wager & Superstition:
  Mark shares a personal story about superstition—moving a bucket “just to be safe”—and applies that logic to burning Swift Runner’s heart: “If I was the Canadians...let’s burn the heart. You know what I mean? Just in case.” (1:17:45)

• Alcohol and Community:
  Discussion about the impact of alcohol on Native communities, the difference between individual pathology and broader social issues.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the function of the Wendigo story:

  “It serves two purposes. Maybe the Wendigo is a real thing...or it's a way to make people behave in the way that is in ordinance with what society needs.” – Mark (1:11:30)

• On cultural difference at trial:

  “The Colonial court saw Swift Runner only as a criminal…but among his own people, he was understood as something more complicated.” – Mark (1:08:05)

• On the investigative aftermath:

  “They heard what he was saying and they were like, well, can we see?... And then they were like, what the fuck?” – Mark (1:15:55)

• Dark humor at the execution:

  “I could kill myself with a tomahawk and save the hangman any further trouble.” – Swift Runner (reported by Mark, 1:00:30)

• Christos’s advice:

  “Don’t drink alcohol and be a dick, dude.” – Christos (1:19:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–06:30] – Cree introduction to the Wendigo
• [06:30–11:30] – Cree survival traditions and ceremonies
• [16:30–26:00] – Swift Runner’s rise as a hunter/guide
• [26:00–31:00] – Decline into alcoholism and isolation
• [31:00–36:00] – The murders and Swift Runner’s “Wendigo possession”
• [36:00–41:00] – Discovery, police investigation, and evidence
• [50:15–59:00] – The trial: defense, prosecution, and verdict
• [59:00–1:04:15] – Execution and Cree vs. Colonial justice
• [1:07:00–1:19:00] – Interpretations, mental health, myth, and modern reflections

Tone and Style

Mark’s delivery is candid, irreverent, and conversational, mixing dark humor and genuine curiosity. He repeatedly encourages listener engagement, especially from those with direct cultural ties or knowledge. There’s a balance between respect for Cree traditions and modern skepticism, with Mark adopting a “leave room for all explanations” attitude throughout.

For listeners new to the topic:
This episode is a comprehensive retelling of both a notorious true crime and the Indigenous beliefs surrounding it. It highlights ongoing tensions between colonial and native worldviews, the sometimes overlooked social and psychological causes of horror, and why certain taboos persist in oral tradition.

For deeper discussion or feedback, Mark invites Cree and Algonquian listeners (and anyone with local/ancestral knowledge) to offer corrections or reflections in the comments.