Twelve-year-old’s pride in using bond with outdoors to help evacuees

Sophia Harman has held a hatchet for as long as she could walk and been on the land for as long as she can remember. When Fort Simpson evacuees needed help, relatives say she stepped up. 

The Yellowknife Multiplex currently serves as a reception centre for Fort Simpson evacuees after a wildfire late last month forced residents to move out of their village and seek shelter in the territorial capital.

Evacuees at the multiplex have sought traditional food donations to fit the diets of Elders. 

Hearing that, 12-year-old Yellowknife resident Sophia put her skills to use alongside her father and grandfather, going out to the Yellowknife River and catching more than 10 whitefish to donate – a gesture Sophia said makes her “feel proud.”

Not everything has come easy to Sophia. As a student with autism she has a hard time at school, her mother said, and so spends three days a week outside with the Bushkids organization – an environment that has become a vital part of her life. 

“The land is the only place Sophia finds true peace and connection. It’s like the land and her are extensions of each other,” said her mother, Emily Heeringa. 

“Sophia excels on the land. You can see her spirit is freed when she is out there, it’s like watching her come to life. Even when she was non-verbal, you could see the connection. The land doesn’t require words – it is a feeling from the heart.”

Asked what she likes about the outdoors, Sophia explained it is quiet and calm, offering a different pace from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Her connection to the outdoors has given her an understanding of the Dene Laws, traditional guiding principles given by the legendary figure Yamoria that help to ensure survival, harmony and balance with the land.

Reminded of her own wildfire-triggered evacuation from Yellowknife in 2023, and with the Dene Laws in mind, Sophia decided she wanted to help people from Fort Simpson in whichever way she could.

She scaled, gutted and cleaned the whitefish, her mother noted, saying: “That sense of pride by giving back feeds her soul, it’s the Dene Laws in action.” 

To this, Sophia added: “The Creator would be proud of me.”

Heather Nakehk’o has been organizing traditional food being served at the multiplex for evacuees.

“I think it is amazing to see the amount of love and support coming from people of all different ages, backgrounds and communities,” Nakehk’o said.

“This is what community is all about. We are all treaty people and the heart of that is peace, friendship and sharing.”

Leadership and respect

Most of what Sophia has learned comes from her father, Alan Harman Jr, vice-president of the North Slave Métis Alliance, who grew up immersed in traditional hunting techniques. Sophia described her father as her role model. 

“He teaches me things,” she said, expressing her admiration.

Earlier this year, Sophia received a 2026 Sacred Feather Indigenous Student Award, an award from the YK1 school district for students who demonstrate “commitment to their culture and community.”

Nomination letters associated with that award describe Sophia as a leader who respects Elders and inspires others to do the same. She teaches younger students how to make fires and places an emphasis on safety.

“By treating people and the environment with respect and acting with humility, this student lives the Dene Laws in meaningful and authentic ways,” one letter stated. 

“I like to be a leader and consider myself one,” she said.

After delivering the fish, Sophia went home and started making cookies and cupcakes. She said she did so “in case they want dessert.”