by Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

FORT PROVIDENCEE (Oct 17/97) - People around the world will soon be wearing furs produced right here in the Deh Cho.

Dene Fur Clouds -- a forward-looking project of the Deh Gah Got'ie Betterment Corporation in co-operation with world-class Toronto designer Paula Lishman and the NWT Development Corporation -- is now up and running in Fort Providence.

Close to 20 people are cutting, knitting and assembling hats and scarves that will soon be sold throughout Canada and overseas.

"It (Dene Fur Clouds) brings First Nations people full circle because it's taking the fur from harvesting to a finished product," said Doug Bryshun, CEO of the Betterment Corporation.

Eventually, Dene Fur Clouds will branch into sweaters and other big-ticket items. And the company plans to use locally harvested furs in the future.

Right now, they are working with rabbit pelts from Lishman's Ontario warehouse.

"We started looking into it two years ago and had meetings with Paula Lishman," Bryshun said. "The main thing was to determine the suitability of the community and workers.... It was determined the community was well suited."

Training was held last winter and in September, Laurie Day and Mark McKeowen, expert knitters and cutters from the Lishman organization in Ontario, arrived to head up the operation.

Work began on Sept. 15.

All told, about $220,000 has been invested by the Betterment Corporation to get the project running. And, plans are already under way to expand operations.

"We'll be building a 4,500- to 5,000-square-foot building where Dene Fur Clouds will be the anchor tenant," Bryshun said.

Workers are currently paid an hourly wage but this will soon change to a completely piece-work system. One worker, Emily Squirrel, works out of her own home or at an area camp.

"I like it better working at home and at camp," she said.

Fellow knitter Nellie Norwegian also praised the operation.

"I knit twice a week in the building and three times a week at home," she said. "I really love knitting. (I'm) getting paid to do something I really enjoy -- what more can you ask for?"

Supervisor Laurie Day also said she was pleased with everything so far.

"It's going great," she said during a break from work. "We have the most amazing people here. They love what they're doing."