First Inuk bishop Paul Idlout dies on New Year’s Eve

Paul Idlout — a hunter, teacher, and the first Inuk bishop in history — died Dec. 31, on the morning of New Year’s Eve.

“Death of a loved one has a way of forcing us to think about all our loved ones,” said Nunavut MP Lori Idlout in her New Year’s Eve message, in light of her 90-year-old uncle’s death.

“While I am struggling to vocalize wishing people a happy new year, I do wish it.”

Paul Idlout’s earliest appearance in the public eye was in 1975, when he was among six people to be featured on the back of the Canadian two-dollar bill.

The image is taken from a 1951 photo showing six men preparing their kayaks for a hunt near Pond Inlet on northern Baffin Island.

He also served as an RCMP translator and special constable in Iqaluit, Igloolik and Taloyoak for 13 years.

Paul Idlout was ordained as a minister in 1990. From 1996 to 2004, he served as an Anglican bishop, and became the first Inuk to reach this rank, according to the Anglican Diocese of the Arctic.

When he announced his retirement in 2004, many Nunavummiut, including then- premier Paul Okalik, packed the parish hall to attend the bishop’s final Sunday service.

Paul Idlout served as an RCMP translator and special constable in Iqaluit, Igloolik and Taloyoak for 13 years. (Photo courtesy of Nunavut RCMP)

After stepping away from ministerial work, Paul Idlout continued to be a teacher of traditional skills and gave pastoral care to the people of Apex.

A funeral service for Paul Idlout will take place at Iqaluit’s St. Jude’s Cathedral on Jan. 6 at 2:30 p.m. Diocesan Bishop Alexander Pryor will lead the service.