DEH CHO
When Etanda Hardisty-Beaverho moved to Fort Liard this summer with her sister Gabby and her mom, Melissa Hardisty, she couldn't have been more happy, her mom recalls.

The late Etanda Hardisty-Beaverho is being remembered by her family as a curious, forthright girl who loved to smile. - photo courtesy of Melissa Hardisty

The move came just months after Etanda's Grade 6 graduation from Bompas Elementary School in Fort Simpson. She was looking forward to something new and different, said her mom.

The summer was full of proud moments for the sunny 12 year old. She scored a goal for her soccer team in Hay River, made new friends and started at a new school.

Etanda died suddenly on the morning of Oct. 3. An RCMP investigation is still trying to determine cause of death, but her friends and family are determined to remember her as the girl who never stopped smiling.

"She had the gift of happiness," Hardisty said. "She was just a very vibrant spirit, and feisty. If she wanted something, she fought for it and never gave up."

Etanda's name means 'beautiful' in the Tlicho language. Her family says that beauty still lingers in the people she brought together with her outgoing spirit.

"I'm grateful for her presence and grace. She knew all these people, she showed us that if you love and care for one another, you can work together and be positive," Hardisty said. "She opened our eyes to how precious life is."

Etanda's father, Rick Beaverho, and Melissa have asked community members to keep discussions about their daughter's unknown cause of death to themselves. Already, the family has been hearing speculation and rumours from friends and acquaintances, something they say makes moving forward even harder.

"Losing her has really affected a lot of people," Hardisty said. "We will find out what happened that night, and then we will forgive."

Etanda's parents say she struggled with preteen issues and peer pressure like any other child. In the month she spent in Fort Liard, she also dealt with bullies, something Hardisty said her daughter didn't talk about much.

'She was determined'

"She was determined to stand up for herself. She wanted to be her own person," she said. "Nobody is better than anyone else and she knew that. We are all who we are."

Those teachings were ingrained in the young girl, who went to great lengths to help her friends in need.

"Her friends were very, very important to her," Hardisty said. "I want to continue to let people her age know, I'm here if you want to talk. I understand now what my girl was going through. That's my goal - to help these young kids and make sure a door is open for them somewhere, where they won't be pushed away."

The family is thanking community members for an outpouring of support. Hardisty said Tlicho communities came together to bring the Beaverho family to Fort Simpson for the funeral, and Fort Liard put together a donation.

While she grieves, Melissa takes comfort in her faith and the conviction that she will one day be reunited with her daughter in Heaven.

When Etanda was laid to rest on Oct. 10, family members took a photo of the sky that made her mother's conviction even stronger.

"The sun was breaking through the clouds, and the light made the shape of a heart. And it looked like an angel," Hardisty said. "She was a very special little girl. She's our angel now, and she's going to watch over us and protect us. We have faith she is being taken care of, somewhere there's no pain, where she is happy all the time."

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