Gil Cardinal

Gilbert Joseph "Gil" Cardinal (July 19, 1950 – November 21, 2015) was a Canadian filmmaker of Métis descent. Born in Edmonton in 1950, and placed in a foster home at the age of two, Cardinal only discovered his Métis roots while making his documentary Foster Child. This 1987 National Film Board of Canada (NFB) film received over 10 international film awards, including a Gemini Award for best direction for a documentary program, following its broadcast on CBC's Man Alive series. He also Shadow Puppets: Indian Myths and Legends, a series on Cree and Blackfoot legends. His 2003 film Totem: The Return of the G’psgolox Pole, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Death and legacy In 1997, Cardinal was recognized with a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, now the Indspire Awards, for Film and Television. Cardinal died of cirrhosis on November 21, 2015, in Edmonton at the age of 65. He had been hospitalized in his final months as he experienced a serious health decline complicated by diabetes.