The Charles Brothers Trio: Ben, John and Fred Charles.
Ben Charles, Sr. grew up in the Klallam Tribal villages along the Washington State side of the Straight of Juan de Fuca.
Ben’s mother is from across the water, the First Nations village at Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada. And his father is of the Klallam Tribe in Washington State.
Ben and his brothers sang together and became known and loved throughout Washington and Oregon as The Charles Brothers Trio. They made record albums on their own label "Big Chief Records", and were guest artists on some camp meeting records.
Ben attended Bible College in Seattle. During that time, the Charles Brothers Trio traveled, representing the Seattle Bible Training College across the US and into Mexico in the summer of 1960.
Ben married his wife Sue in 1963, and graduated from Bible College in 1964. Ben was a mill worker and traveled as a special speaker for few years before accepting the pastorate of his first church at Nisqually Tribe in Washington State.
Through the next 25 years Ben pastored several Native American and First Nations churches in Washington State and British Columbia, Canada. During much of that time, Ben worked for the Yelm School District and for some of the Tribes.
Returning from Canada in 1992, Ben retired from the pastoral kind of ministry work, but continues to this time accepting speaking engagements, and officiates for cultural events, weddings and funerals.
Ben worked for several Tribes in Washington State until his retirement in 2005. Because of a couple of heart attacks and heart surgery (in 2003 and 2005) it has been necessary that Ben phase back on the physical and stressful demands of traditional types of employment. He now helps in his son’s business (The Journey Enterprises) as an artist, illustrator and designer.
For many years Ben and his brother John still sang together for events and gatherings until late 2006 when brother John, because of his health and limited breathing capacity could no longer sing.
Ben and his wife of 43 years have joined the crowds of others using the internet for business opportunities and information disbursement. [See a partial list of websites below.]
Ben still hosts the occasional television program. But not on a weekly basis as he did from 1992 to about 1998, when he hosted the couple’s TV series called NW Native Culture. Sue produced and directed the NW Native Culture TV series, in addition to four other TV series on various topics from storytelling to self-defense. Sue also directed countless programs for other producers from 1991 to the present. Sue is also a media consultant and trainer for various firms, tribes, agencies, churches and organizations.
Ben and Sue own and operate their own media production business, NW Native Media Productions since 1989. Many of their TV programs and documentaries have been award winners. [Learn more…]
Ben and Sue host scores of websites which Sue created through the past number of years. And Sue has been working with internet podcasting in her friend’s company.
Ad-Venture Travel: Sue is also putting her 14 years of travel industry experience back in to practice with the online travel service business that the couple started last year. For more information on this, or to book your travel and accommodations through their travel business, you can visit Ad-Venture Travel. No membership or fees are required to use Ad-Venture Travel search engine or to make your reservations.
At the top of the list of Ben and Sue’s favorite things to do is enjoying their family; all their grown children and their spouses, and of course the grandchildren.
Learn More… You can visit some of the websites to see what kinds of things Ben and Sue do, encourage and support.
The Journey Enterprises
Twelve Pearls
Tribal Journeys
Paddle Journeys
Journey of Learning
Yaktivate.com
Stay tuned… there’s always more to come.
