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Indigenous-owned · Saskatoon, Treaty 6 · Shipping across Canada
An introduction to The Pas: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
The Pas sits where the Pasquia River joins the Saskatchewan River in northern Manitoba, roughly 520 km northwest of Winnipeg, and more than half of its residents identify as Indigenous. Opaskwayak Cree Nation, whose Cree name means at the wooded narrows, lies right beside the town; its Swampy Cree ancestors entered Treaty 5 in 1876. The Nation hosts Opaskwayak Indigenous Days every August. Before any fort or town, this place was a Cree encampment on the Saskatchewan River. The town recognizes Treaty 5 territory as the traditional lands of Opaskwayak Cree Nation and of many Cree, Dene and Oji-Cree people. It also names it the homeland of the Red River Métis. The Pas Band of Cree signed Treaty 5. From 1904 until 1930, the band also ran its own sawmill. In 1906, the band was forced to surrender its reserve land south of the river.
The Pas is on Treaty 5 territory, the lands of the Cree, and the homeland of the Métis. Opaskwayak Cree Nation is next to the town.
Nearby: Opaskwayak Cree Nation · Wanless · Cranberry Portage · Mosakahiken Cree Nation (Moose Lake) · Flin Flon
Across the river from the town, Opaskwayak Cree Nation counted 6,587 members in 2022, with 3,380 living on reserve. Its main reserve, OCN 21E, covers nearly 178 square kilometres across 24 land parcels. A chief and eight councillors govern under an election code the members adopted in 2012. Opaskwayak runs Joe A. Ross School and Oscar Lathlin Collegiate on reserve. The Nation also built Otineka Mall, which opened in 1976. At 225,000 square feet, it is the largest mall in northern Manitoba. The 1,100-seat Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre opened in 1985. Since 1996 it has hosted the Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. One census count put the town's Indigenous share at 46.2 per cent. That included 26.4 per cent First Nations and 19.8 per cent Métis residents. University College of the North keeps one of its two main campuses here. It runs 12 regional centres from Swan River to Churchill, nine of them in First Nations communities. A Council of Elders helps the college respect Indigenous and northern cultures. The college reports that 84 per cent of its graduates stay to work in northern Manitoba.
More on the region: Indigenous Manitoba · 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 The Pas and across Treaty 5 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 The Pas and across Treaty 5 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 The Pas 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 The Pas. 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 The Pas.
Yes. 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. Design help is included, and everything ships to you from Saskatoon.
Pickup is available only in Saskatoon, so orders to The Pas are shipped. They leave within 1–3 business days, and orders of $90 or more ship free within Canada.
Any group in The Pas or Opaskwayak can order custom screen printing from 10 garments. Designs can use up to 4 colours, and every order is quoted before printing. Design help is included. We print in Saskatoon and ship to you, so allow time before festival dates.
Many of our designs carry a Cree word and its story, shared on our meanings page. Many of our designs carry a Cree word, with its story on our Meanings page. For a design in your own dialect, our custom screen printing includes design help.
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 The Pas. 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.
