'It's always about family,' Sagkeeng chief says at community event celebrating Tina Fontaine

Tina Fontaine's home community came together around her family on Tuesday, celebrating the late teen's short life and supporting the people who loved her.

"[There's] a lot of pain in the community. It affects everybody," said Paul Guimond, Tina's uncle.

Guimond was one of dozens of people from Sagkeeng First Nation, where Tina was raised, who met at a community gathering in her honour. The event included food, song and prayer and focused on her family.

Tina Fontaine was 15 when her body was pulled from the Red River in Winnipeg in August 2014. Last week, a Manitoba jury found Raymond Cormier, 56, not guilty of second-degree murder in her death.

Sagkeeng Chief Derrick Henderson said the mood in the community, roughly 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, was sombre throughout the emotional trial, which began on Jan. 29 and ended last Thursday with Cormier's acquittal.

"I just felt that as the chief, we need to be there to show [her family] that we have the support, that they have the support of the community, and as a leader … I think that it's important that people see that," he said.

"For me, it's about family. It's always about family."

Thelma Favel, Tina's great-aunt who raised her for much of her life, sat in the sharing circle at the event.

Henderson said the event is also a stepping stone for healing.

"It's a pathway of getting better in the community," he said.

Kristy Sinclair, 18, was one of Tina's former classmates in Sagkeeng. She said she went to the event to hear from elders. She remembered Tina as a friendly, kind-hearted person.

"She was always smiling. That's the one thing I loved about her. She was always friendly to everybody."

Clorissa Letander, 16, said she and Tina became close while at school together in Grade 5, then realized they were cousins.

"She was nice. When I was stuck on my work, she'd actually help me.… We spent a lot of time together with a group of friends," Letander said.

Letander and Guimond said they also hoped the Tuesday event would help their community heal.

"Everyone goes through a grieving process and kind of moves on, but never forgets about her," Letander said.

"I think we need to look at more positive," Guimond said. "We're stuck on looking at what's hurting us and, you know, what's stopping us from growing."