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Charles “Charlie” John Arthurson, Anglican bishop (born 3 July 1937 in Norway House, MB; died 30 August 2025 in Prince Albert, SK). Charles Arthurson was the first Indigenous bishop in Canada. Arthurson was of Cree and Scottish heritage, and he was recognized as a bridge-builder throughout his life, connecting his cultural heritages. In becoming Canada’s first Indigenous bishop, Arthurson continued the pathfinding legacy of Indigenous people in the Anglican Church of Canada, started by Henry Budd as the first Indigenous Anglican minister in the 1850s. Arthurson was considered a central figure in Indigenous Anglican ministries in Canada.
Early Life
Charles Arthurson was born to Ben and Andrena Arthurson in Norway House, Manitoba (see Norway House Cree Nation). He had six brothers and two sisters. His father died when he was nine years old, leading him to take on many adult responsibilities at a young age to help his family. He developed a strong sense of responsibility and work ethic. In his youth, he trapped and fished on Lake Winnipeg. He also worked as a meat cutter at the Norway House Hospital, and he later served as a clerk at the Hudson’s Bay Company store. He met his wife, schoolteacher Faye Bryer, in 1965, and they married in 1968.
Career in the Anglican Church
Charles Arthurson was an active member of his Anglican congregation, beginning with St. Mark's Anglican Church in Norway House. In his early years, Arthurson taught Sunday school and trained to become a catechist (a lay volunteer or Indigenous teacher who teaches the fundamental tenets of Christianity).
As his career in the Anglican Church developed, Arthurson was dispatched to the community of Shamattawa, Manitoba, in 1966. There he built a church and developed the Anglican congregation. Additionally, while he was there, Arthurson served as the lay dispenser, the individual responsible for giving medicine to members of the community. He met John Munro, federal Minister of Health, and informed him that he had received no training to fulfill this responsibility. In 1972, he was ordained as an Anglican priest and served for several months in Norway House. He and Faye then moved to Big Trout Lake, Ontario. After that, they moved to Split Lake, Manitoba for two years. In 1981, his family moved to Sioux Lookout, Ontario.
In 1986, Arthurson was invited by Bishop Tom Morgan to the Diocese of Saskatchewan, where he would become the rector of All Saints Anglican Church in La Ronge. Arthurson became the first Indigenous person to serve as bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada when he was elected in 1988. In 1989, Arthurson was consecrated as Suffragan Bishop — a consecrated bishop who assists the diocesan bishop in a large and/or complex diocese, such as the northern parishes of Saskatchewan.
Arthurson was an ordained Anglican minister for more than 50 years.
Later Life
Charles Arthurson continued as an Anglican minister and suffragan bishop until his retirement in 2006, and he continued to perform some of these same duties after his retirement as volunteer work. He remained active in the La Ronge Anglican congregation until moving to Prince Albert in 2011. He also served as the provincial chaplain for the Royal Canadian Legion in Saskatchewan, and he conducted the Eucharist monthly at St. George’s Anglican Church in Prince Albert.
In 2002, Arthurson was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for service to his church and community.
He continued serving “any parish that needed him” well into his late 80s. He died on 30 August 2025.
