A Canadian ex-pat living in New Zealand has painted a tribute to Tina Fontaine, the Manitoba teen whose death helped trigger Canada鈥檚 inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
The painting, which depicts near a school in Aukland, took approximately five hours of work to complete over the course of two days.
Artist Emily Gardner says the painting is meant to spark conversation in the far-flung country and around the world, so that what happened to Fontaine doesn鈥檛 happen to others.
鈥淚 wanted to show that she鈥檚 a child 鈥� she鈥檚 a little girl,鈥� Gardner told CTV Winnipeg on Saturday. 鈥淪he was a sweet young person who had a positive impact on the people around her, and I hope we don鈥檛 forget that.鈥�
Fontaine鈥檚 body was found wrapped in a duvet and weighed down with rocks in the Red River in August 2014, more than a week after she went missing in Winnipeg. Fontaine had originally travelled to the city from the Sagkeeng First Nation to visit her birth mother, but wound up living on the streets.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 okay with me and I didn鈥檛 think it should be okay with, not just other Canadians but anybody around the world,鈥� Gardner said. 鈥淭his horrible thing happened to her, and we have to do better.鈥�
Fontaine鈥檚 death hit close to home for Gardner, who spent time living in group homes and foster care as a child in Regina. Gardner says Fontaine reminds her of herself and many of the others she met during her childhood.
Thelma Favel, the great-aunt who raised Fontaine on the Sangkeeng First Nation north of Winnipeg, says the artwork has stirred up her feelings once again.
鈥淪he just captured everything about my baby,鈥� Favel told CTV Winnipeg.
鈥淎ll I wanted is her, but I can鈥檛 have that anymore,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut people like this are just making her come alive to me again.鈥�
Raymond Cormier was found not guilty of second-degree murder in Fontaine鈥檚 death at trial last February.
With files from CTV Winnipeg鈥檚 Beth MacDonell
