Best sellers
Indigenous-owned · Saskatoon, Treaty 6 · Shipping across Canada
An introduction to Prince Rupert: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
Prince Rupert occupies Kaien Island on the ancestral lands of the Ts’msyen, Sm’algya̱x-speaking peoples whose name means people inside the Skeena River and who have lived around the harbour for at least 5,000 years. Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla are nearby communities with deep Ts’msyen roots. The Museum of Northern BC, housed in a cedar longhouse, holds thousands of artifacts from Ts’msyen, Haida and other coastal nations, and the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site near Port Edward recalls the canning era. Coast Mountain College has a campus in the city, and ferries connect Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii, Port Hardy and Alaska. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes Kaien Island as a meeting place of the Tsimshian and Haida peoples. Tsimshian society was traditionally organized through matrilineal descent. In 1862 the Anglican missionary William Duncan set up a Christian settlement at Metlakatla, close to today’s city. About 350 Tsimshian people moved there from Port Simpson. In 1887 Duncan and about 825 residents left for a new Metlakatla near Ketchikan, Alaska.
Prince Rupert is on the traditional territory of the Ts’msyen (Tsimshian) people, including the Lax Kw’alaams and Metlakatla First Nations.
Nearby: Port Edward · Lax Kw’alaams · Metlakatla · Gitxaała Nation (Kitkatla) · Terrace
Ts'msyen Nations are central to life and business around Prince Rupert. Metlakatla First Nation sits about 5 kilometres north of the city, on a site occupied for thousands of years. Its name means saltwater pass in Sm'algyax, the Coast Tsimshian language. The Nation has a Governing Council, a Treaty Office and a Stewardship Office. Its development corporation runs the Metlakatla Ferry Service and several other companies. Members continue to harvest traditional foods on their land. Lax Kw'alaams takes its name from Laxłgu'alaams, the Place of the Wild Roses. The band offers career and employment programs. It has held holiday dinners for members in Prince Rupert, Vancouver and Prince George, as well as at home. Indigenous Nations also have a direct stake in the port. Metlakatla and Lax Kw'alaams hold majority ownership of Gat Leedm Logistics, which provides trucking at the port. An Indigenous joint venture that includes Metlakatla, Lax Kw'alaams and Gitxaała led development of the new CANXPORT logistics facility. Census figures show the wider community. The 2021 census counted 200 people with Tsimshian as their mother tongue and 4,800 with Tsimshian ancestry. The Tsimshian First Nations Treaty Society, founded in 2004, represents five bands in treaty talks, including Metlakatla.
More on the region: Indigenous British Columbia · 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 Prince Rupert and across British Columbia.
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 Prince Rupert and across British Columbia. 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 Prince Rupert 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 Prince Rupert. 10-garment minimum, up to 4 colours per design.
Screen printing for Prince RupertCustom clothing and designs
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 Prince Rupert.
No, pickup is offered only in Saskatoon. Orders to Prince Rupert are shipped and leave Saskatoon within 1–3 business days.
Yes. Custom orders start at 10 garments with up to 4 colours per design, the largest screen is 23x31 inches, and every order is quoted before printing. They are printed in Saskatoon and shipped to you.
Yes. Our custom screen printing starts at 10 garments, with up to 4 colours per design, and every order is quoted before printing. Design help is included. We print in Saskatoon and ship to the North Coast, so allow for travel time on longer routes.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
XUSI began with a gap: gym clothes that carried Indigenous identity instead of leaving it at the door. That is still the centre of the line, and it ships from Saskatoon to Prince Rupert.
The tees, hoodies and hats are designed by two Indigenous brothers on Treaty 6. Start with Indigenous gym wear, or see what every word means on the Meanings page.
