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Indigenous-owned · Saskatoon, Treaty 6 · Shipping across Canada
An introduction to Barrie: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
Anishinaabeg nations of the Three Fires Confederacy, the Odawa, Ojibwe and Pottawatomi, call this region home. The Wendat Nation lived here before the middle of the 17th century. The Wendat Nation occupied the lands around Barrie until the middle of the 17th century. Anishinaabeg nations of the Three Fires Confederacy have long called the region home. The Nine Mile Portage, linking Kempenfelt Bay to the site of Fort Willow, was an Indigenous travel route long before the British used it. In 1815, the Crown and Anishinaabe signed Treaty 16, the Lake Simcoe Purchase, at Kempenfelt Bay. Treaty 18, the Nottawasaga Purchase, followed on October 17, 1818. In 1923, seven Anishinaabe First Nations signed the Williams Treaties, which covered about 52,000 square kilometres. Those treaties took away harvesting rights without the Nations’ full understanding.
Barrie is on lands covered by Treaty 16 (1815) and Treaty 18 (1818), and later the Williams Treaties of 1923. It is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg of the Three Fires Confederacy, and the Wendat Nation lived here before the mid-1600s.
Nearby: Innisfil · Orillia · Chippewas of Rama First Nation · Beausoleil First Nation · Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation · Midland
The Williams Treaties First Nations include three communities close to Barrie: Chippewas of Rama, Beausoleil and Chippewas of Georgina Island. In September 2018, Canada and Ontario reached a settlement with all seven Williams Treaties Nations. It included $1.11 billion in compensation and recognized their continuing treaty harvesting rights. Each Nation may also add up to 11,000 acres to its reserve lands. Canada and Ontario committed to an apology as part of the deal. In the city, the Barrie Native Friendship Centre has been a gathering place since September 1987. It was incorporated in 1988 and has been on Bayfield Street since 1993. Its programs include Akwe:Go and Wasa Nabin for children and youth, and Apatisiwin for employment and training. The centre also runs bail supervision, restorative justice and health outreach programs. Executive Director Samantha Kinoshameg has described its approach as holistic, covering physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Georgian College, with campuses in Barrie and Midland, offers Indigenous student services and marks Treaties Recognition Week. It also observes September 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
More on the region: Indigenous Ontario · all of Canada.
XUSI is an Indigenous-owned business from Saskatoon, started in 2020 by two brothers from northern Saskatchewan. Along with our clothing, we bring Indigenous youth workshops and custom screen printing to Barrie and across Treaties 16 and 18 territory.
Strong Roots Strong Future is our interactive workshop for Indigenous youth, led by the two brothers who founded XUSI. We travel to schools, First Nations and Indigenous communities, youth organizations and funding programs in Barrie and across Treaties 16 and 18 territory. Youth ages 10 and up work through identity and culture, financial literacy, fitness, entrepreneurship and business skills, career readiness and hands-on screen printing.
Custom t-shirts, hoodies and crewnecks for Barrie schools, sports teams, businesses, events and First Nations and Indigenous organizations. Send us an idea, get free design help and a full quote before anything is printed. We print in Saskatoon and ship to Barrie. 10-garment minimum, up to 4 colours per design.
Heavyweight cotton tees, hoodies, crewnecks and A-frame hats with Cree words and the stories behind them. Fitness is part of how XUSI started, so our pieces are built for the gym and the street, and we ship them to Barrie.
Yes. Orders of $90 or more ship free to Barrie and anywhere else in Canada. Orders under $90 show the shipping cost at checkout. Every order leaves our Saskatoon shop within 1 to 3 business days.
Yes. Custom screen printing starts at 10 garments, with up to 4 colours per design. Every order gets a full quote before anything is printed, and design help is included. We print everything in Saskatoon and ship the finished order to you in Barrie.
Barrie sits on lands covered by Treaty 16, signed at Kempenfelt Bay in 1815, and Treaty 18 from 1818. The Williams Treaties of 1923 also apply to the wider region. We are based on Treaty 6 land in Saskatoon, and our designs share Cree words and stories on our meanings page.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
The same two brothers who design the clothing run Strong Roots Strong Future, an Indigenous youth workshop they bring to schools, Nations and youth organizations, including in Barrie.
The clothing carries the same language and the same stories the workshops are built on. See the youth workshops, or read the meanings behind the designs.
