Best sellers
Indigenous-owned · Saskatoon, Treaty 6 · Shipping across Canada
An introduction to Watson Lake: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
About 40% of residents are Indigenous. The town and the neighbouring settlement of Upper Liard are home to Liard First Nation, a Kaska Dena community. The Kaska Dena have lived in this part of the North for generations. Their homeland stretches across what are now Yukon, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. The Kaska Dena Council puts it plainly: borders not of their making divided them. In 1981, Kaska Nations formed the Kaska Dena Council to push treaty negotiations with Canada and British Columbia.
Watson Lake is in the homeland of the Kaska Dena, and the town and nearby Upper Liard are home to Liard First Nation. Kaska land claims in Yukon and northern British Columbia are still being pursued.
Nearby: Upper Liard · Lower Post · Good Hope Lake · Teslin · Ross River · Dease Lake
Liard First Nation is the Kaska community centred at Watson Lake and Upper Liard. It had a registered population of 1,152 in June 2011. The Nation describes its approach as Dene K'ėh Gus'an, the People's Way. It runs programs in education, health, housing, justice, language and economic development. Its website shares a Kaska Word of the Day to keep the language in daily use. Liard First Nation is one of five member bands of the Kaska Dena Council. The others are Ross River Dena Council in Yukon, and Daylu Dena, Dease River and Kwadacha in British Columbia. The Council's guiding phrase, Ełī́gé Nan—Ełī́gé Dene, is given in English as One Land, One People. Its programs include youth and Elders gatherings, drumming, storytelling and language work. The Council also leads land stewardship through the Dene K'éh Kusān initiative and the Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh Network, a Kaska Guardian program. Kaska land claims in Yukon and northern BC are still being pursued. About 40% of Watson Lake residents are Indigenous, making Kaska people a large part of the community.
More on the region: Indigenous Yukon · 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 Watson Lake and across Yukon.
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 Watson Lake and across Yukon. 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 Watson Lake 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 Watson Lake. 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 Watson Lake.
Yes. Orders of $90 or more ship free to Watson Lake 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 Watson Lake.
Watson Lake is in the homeland of the Kaska Dena, and Liard First Nation is based here and at Upper Liard. Kaska land claims are still being pursued. Our own shop is on Treaty 6 land in Saskatoon, and our Cree-word designs are explained on our meanings page.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
Putting nêhiyawêwin on a shirt is a small way of keeping it in use. XUSI does it on purpose: each design carries a Cree word, and each one is explained in the founders’ own words for whoever picks it up in Watson Lake.
The brand is Indigenous-owned and based in Saskatoon, on Treaty 6. Read every meaning on the Meanings page, or shop Cree language clothing.
