New movie documentary - Metis searches for family

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The Alberta premiere of 'Foster Child' directed by Metis producer Gil Cardinal takes place at the Edmonton Provincial Museum Theatre, Oct. 21 (8 p.m.), beginning a nation-wide tour of the hard hitting non-fictional story and its filmmaker.

The film is an unrehearsed documentary about Cardinal's frustrating search for his natural family. None of the characters in the 43 minute film are actors ? they're people he actually encounters in his search ? and all events are not staged.

The film received a standing ovation in Yellowknife, N.W.T., marking an earlier success for the $170,000 production last June. The Yellowknife Weekender gave it a rave review, saying "the story will encourage other foster children, particularly Native ones, to find their roots and perhaps banish the myth that they were abandoned because their parents didn't care."

Cardinal learned from other relatives that his own natural mother Lucy, who died in 1974, gave him up because she didn't want him to live the difficult life she had to offer.

After becoming a permanent ward of social services and being raised in a non-Native foster home from the age of one, Cardinal denied his Metis background for much of his life. Dismissing Natives as the "stereotype drunk," he admits he was ashamed of his culture and turned his back on his past.

But, two years ago, the urge to find his natural family overwhelmed him. Cardinal felt his life was empty, and he was missing something. He needed to know more.

Cardinal, 36, then began his search at a welfare office where a social worker told him parts of his life, picking pieces at random from a two inch thick file he had no access to. He became frustrated at the lack of information, learning only that his mother was an "alcoholic", according to the worker, who came to this conclusion because Lucy was jailed for a minor incident involving alcohol.

There was no record of Cardinal's father, but he did learn that he had two brothers. But, one had died and the other didn't want to see him.

Following a story written in Windspeaker about his search, Cardinal received a message from Calling Lake residents who claimed to know his family. He had an uncle who wanted to see him.

Looking into a mirror as he prepared for his first visit with a "blood" relative, Cardinal assured himself, saying "today it's important to look Indian ? to be Metis." He needed to be accepted by his uncle.

Cardinal came close to tears when he saw an image of his mother for the first time ? a black and white picture of her his uncle kept in a family photo album. It was clear Cardinal had inherited her looks.

Cardinal's search then took him to Yellowknife where the wife of his deceased brother, Don, was anxious to meet him. Linda told Cardinal her husband had been an artist ? nothing like the hard-hearted man he expected. Don passed away only one year earlier, but before he died Linda said he knew about Cardinal and wanted to meet him.

"Don wanted to have a brother, but I started a year too late."

Cardinal also located Don's father, a man who may have been his father too. But, the man denied it, saying the war had left him unable to have children after Don was born. However, Cardinal is convinced he spoke with his father. "It's something that will just take time," said Cardinal, "maybe he'll open up."

The story ends with Cardinal forgiving his mother for giving him up as he put a tombstone on her unmarked grave.

"My search will never end, but through it I have come to a reality . . . I had two families," he concludes.

After the Alberta premiere, 'Foster Child' will be shown at eight major centres across the country.