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Indigenous-owned · Saskatoon, Treaty 6 · Shipping across Canada
An introduction to St. Albert: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
St. Albert sits along the Sturgeon River on Edmonton’s northwest boundary, within Treaty 6 territory. Father Albert Lacombe founded a mission here in 1861 as a Métis settlement, making it Alberta’s oldest non-fortified community, and during an 1870 smallpox outbreak the mission sheltered some 700 Métis and First Nations people. Métis culture remains central: Michif Cultural Connections offers programming such as moccasin making and language classes, and downtown street signs appear in English, French and Cree. Lacombe and Métis helpers built the first log church on high ground north of the Sturgeon River. The Métis families who settled here divided the land into river lots. These long, narrow strips gave every household access to the water. The Hudson’s Bay Company held it in 1878, and Métis company employee Louis Chastellain held title by 1884.
St. Albert is on Treaty 6 territory, the lands of the Cree, Dene, Nakota Sioux, Saulteaux and Blackfoot peoples, and the homeland of the Métis. The community began as a Métis settlement and mission in 1861.
Nearby: Edmonton · Morinville · Sturgeon County · Alexander First Nation · Spruce Grove
Métis culture has a home base in St. Albert. Michif Cultural Connections works out of Juneau House on Mission Avenue, the oldest house in the city. It runs a Métis Living Museum, a library and a craft shop that supports Métis artisans. Along the Sturgeon River, River Lots 23 and 24 are open free of charge from the May long weekend to the September long weekend. Four restored buildings stand there, including La Maison Chevigny from 1890 and the Belcourt House from about 1900. Sharon Morin of the Arts and Heritage Foundation hopes the site becomes a place of gathering. She wants visitors to learn how Métis people made their imprint on Alberta. The city has also built reconciliation into its work. It has a full-time role for Indigenous relations and reconciliation, and it marks eight observances, including Métis Week and Red Dress Day. Staff meet regularly with Indigenous community representatives and visit local First Nations. St. Albert has hosted large National Indigenous Peoples Day gatherings. In 2018 more than 1,200 people came to Lions Park for a grand entry, drumming, dancing, singing and fiddling. The day also included a walk for missing and murdered Indigenous women to the healing garden.
More on the region: Indigenous Alberta · 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 St. Albert and across Treaty 6 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 St. Albert and across Treaty 6 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 St. Albert 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 St. Albert. 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 St. Albert.
Yes. Custom orders begin at 10 garments, can carry up to 4 colours per design, and every order is quoted before printing. Design help is included; the shirts are printed in Saskatoon and shipped to St. Albert.
The cost is calculated at checkout based on your order, and orders of $90 or more ship free within Canada. Your order leaves Saskatoon within 1–3 business days.
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, so your group can shape artwork around its message. We print in Saskatoon and ship to St. Albert, so plan ahead of June 21.
Many of our designs carry a Cree word, with its story explained on our meanings page. For a design built around Métis history or a St. Albert river lot family, a group can work with us through custom screen printing. Orders start at 10 garments, and design help is included.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
Alongside its own line, XUSI screen prints custom apparel for schools, teams, businesses, Nations and events in St. Albert. Ten garments minimum, up to four colours, design help included, and a full quote before anything runs.
The clothing side is Indigenous-designed and Indigenous-owned, out of Saskatoon on Treaty 6. See custom screen printing, or shop the XUSI line.
