Community gathers in memory of Tina Fontaine, 10 years after she was murdered

Members of SagkeengFirst Nation in eastern Manitoba honoured the legacy of Tina Fontainethis weekenda decade after her death.

About 100 people marched across the community, about 125 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, in support of Fontaine's family on Saturday, 10 years after the 15-year-old's remainswere pulled from the Red River in the provincial capital.

Fontaine, from SagkeengFirst Nation, went missing on July 2014. Her body was found wrapped in plasticnear the Alexander Docks on Aug. 17.

Her deathdrew global attention tomissing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) in Canada, helping motivate a national inquiry into MMIWG, which delivered its final report in 2019.

"Tina started an earthquake when her body was found 10 years ago today," heraunt, Thelma Favel,told the crowd.

"For all men, women, boys and girls that have been taken so tragically, we just have to keep praying this doesn't happen anymore. It has to stop some time."

Fontaine had come toWinnipeg to reconnect with her mother after her father's murder in 2011, and was soon surrounded by a world of addiction, homelessness and the sex trade. She was inthe care of Child and Family Services when she died.

On the eve of the 10th-yearanniversary, the government announced $986,000 in federal and provincial fundingforNdinawemaaganag Endaawaad, the organizationwhich runs the Tina's Safe Haven, aWinnipeg drop-in centre for at-risk youth between the ages of13 and 24.

The organization said it will use most of the money to support its health-care programming.

Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, who is a member of Sagkeeng First Nation, said Friday the lives of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people are sacred, and that there needs to be resources in place to protect them.

"We honour her little spirit and the legacy that [Tina] gave all of us," the minister said. "Tina Fontaine, in herdeath, has literally saved thousands of lives of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited."

WATCH| A goodbye letter to Tina Fontaine

'It's time to let her go': A letter to Tina Fontaine

18 days ago

Duration 2:26

On the 10-year anniversary of the day Tina Fontaine's body was pulled from the Red River, her aunt, Thelma Favel will read a goodbye letter in her community.

The community placed signs and a wreath honouring MMIWG in front of a bronze monument built in their memory and by Tina's grave.

For some members of the family, it was time to let go.

"It was so devastating to hear she was gone," Favel said. "I was holding onto her, I was keeping her alive in my heart and in my mind, but today I'm saying goodbye."