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Indigenous-owned · Saskatoon, Treaty 6 · Shipping across Canada
XUSI designs are rooted in language, culture, identity, and the stories behind the words we carry. This page shares the definitions and stories behind each design, in our words.
Most of our designs carry a word in Cree (Nêhiyawêwin), written in standard Roman orthography and in syllabics. One carries a Japanese word, because Japanese style is part of XUSI too. Tap a word to jump to its story, or shop the piece it lives on.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionâhkamêyimowᐋᐦᑲᒣᔨᒧᐤ
To persevere. To keep going. To push through.
There were times when stopping felt easier than continuing.
But our people learned to push forward through cold, hunger, and uncertainty. Not because it was easy, but because it was necessary.
That same strength lives in us today.
We don't give up. We endure.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionmiyo-wîcêhtowinᒥᔪ ᐑᒉᐦᑐᐏᐣ
Building strong, respectful relationships. By communicating, caring, and working together like one family. With each other and the land.
Our people once worked in unity to move buffalo.
Not for sport, but for survival.
That same instinct lives in us today.
We don't just wear culture. We carry it forward.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionkitôskihtânawᑭᑑᐢᑭᐦᑖᓇᐤ
We renew. We restore. We make it new again.
There was a time our ways were nearly lost.
But our people held on.
Through language, stories, and tradition, we rebuild.
Not just for us, but for those coming next.
Culture lives through us.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionsôhkahpinêwᓲᐦᑲᐦᐱᓀᐤ
To be resilient. To endure pain with inner strength.
Some days test your body.
Some days test your mind.
Pain shows up in the gym and in life.
But you don't fold. You push through.
That strength is built, not given.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionmiyosiwinᒥᔪᓯᐏᐣ
Beauty. Being beautiful. Refinement.
Beauty isn't something you chase.
It's in how you carry yourself every day.
In the way you move, speak, and live.
Quiet, natural, and real.
It comes from within.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionkitâpisisininâwâwᑭᑖᐱᓯᓯᓂᓈᐚᐤ
You all revive. You come back to life. You rise again.
There are moments when everything feels finished.
Like there's nothing left to give.
But somehow, you find your way back.
Stronger, sharper, more alive than before.
You don't stay down. You rise again.
Japanese definitionsakuraさくら · 桜
Cherry blossom.
Without regret, they fall and scatter.
Not from weakness, but from their time.
Each moment lived fully, then released.
No holding on. No looking back.
Just beauty in the letting go.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionmaskawisiwinᒪᐢᑲᐏᓯᐏᐣ
Firmness. Hardness. Strength.
Strength isn't loud.
It's steady and unshaken.
Like the bear, you stand your ground.
You don't move unless you choose to.
Nothing breaks you.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionsôhkahtwâwinᓲᐦᑲᐦᑣᐏᐣ
Resilience. Inner strength. The ability to recover, endure, and remain strong through hardship.
The body gets tired.
The rhythm gets faster.
Still, the dancer keeps moving.
Every step demands strength, control, and the ability to recover.
You may bend under pressure, but you do not break.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionsâskwatônᓵᐢᑾᑑᐣ
Saskatoon, SK.
Every journey starts somewhere.
For us, it starts here.
Saskatoon, on Treaty 6 territory.
The river, the land, and the people shaped where we come from.
As we move forward, we carry that beginning with us.
Inspired by the strength of the eagle and the spirit of Sundance.
A reminder to rise above what weighs you down.
To move with purpose, stay grounded, and keep your direction.
Strength is not only in how high you rise, but in what you carry with you.
Cree / Nêhiyawêwin definitionkîwêtinohk-kisâstêwᑮᐍᑎᓄᕽ ᑭᓵᐢᑌᐤ
North. Northward. In the North. Toward the north wind. It is hot weather. It is hot and sunny.
The North feels different in summer.
Long days, warm air, open water, and life all around you.
It is a time to travel the land, spend time outside, and enjoy what the season brings.
The northern summer does not last long.
So while the sun is high and the days are warm, we make the most of it.
Language carries culture. Putting Nêhiyawêwin on what people wear every day, at the gym, at school and at events, keeps the words visible and gives people a reason to ask what they mean. Part of the vision for XUSI is to help revitalize the Cree and Dene languages through thoughtful products.
