[2] Her case is considered among the high number of missing and murdered Indigenous women of Canada, and her death renewed calls by activists for the government to conduct a national inquiry into the issue.

[5] The case of Tina Fontaine helped prompt the Canadian government to commit to creating an independent national inquiry into the issue of murders and violence against Indigenous women, which was started in 2017.

Duck experienced a number of significant traumas as a young child, which the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth said in a 2019 report "were not appropriately addressed."

When Fontaine was five years old, her father placed her and her younger sibling with her great-aunt and -uncle, Thelma and Joseph Favel, through a private guardianship arrangement.

In a 2019 report, the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth noted that Child and Family Services was clearly aware that she was struggling in the period between her father's death and her own.

At 5:15 am on 8 August,[9] two police officers encountered her in a truck with an allegedly drunk driver as part of a traffic stop, but did not take her into custody, even though she was known to be missing.

Identified by CBC News as "Katrina", she said that after she met Fontaine between 10 and 11 pm on 7 August, they went to eat at the Macdonald Youth Services emergency shelter at around 2:30 am.

[6] In response to Fontaine's death, the Canadian Human Rights Commission requested an inquiry into the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) in Canada.

Acting Chief Commissioner David Langtry wrote, "Once again our hearts are filled with grief and sadness as we mourn the brutal and senseless murder of an Aboriginal girl.

"[26] With the change in government, in December 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that a national inquiry titled "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls" would be undertaken.

They have begun to regularly drag portions of the Red River to find bodies or evidence in missing persons or homicide cases.

[27] Tina's death also led to the creation of the Bear Clan Patrol, which promotes safety and crime prevention in Winnipeg's North End.

[8] Additionally, a local Inuk woman, Holly Jarrett, has started social media campaigns: the #AmINext hashtag and a Change.org petition in response to Fontaine's death.

[9] After Cormier's acquittal, Indigenous leaders in Manitoba criticized governmental systems for not protecting Fontaine: "We as a nation need to do better for our young people," said Grand Chief Sheila North, of Keewatinowi Okimakanak.

Carolyn Bennett, federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, tweeted: "Tina's is a tragic story that demonstrates the failures of all the systems for Indigenous children and youth on every level... we need to fix this."

[8] On 28 February 2018, the Justice for our Stolen Children Camp was set up on Wascana Park in Regina in response to the death of Fontaine and Colten Boushie.

[29] The next month, political activist Indygo Arscott held a rally outside Toronto City Hall to voice outrage in memory of Fontaine due to Cormier being found not guilty of the crime.

[30][31] In March 2019, Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth's Daphne Penrose released a report documenting Fontaine's life and the shortcomings of the agencies that were meant to protect her.