The fonds consists of records from Gil Cardinal’s independent and freelance projects; the film companies co-founded by Cardinal (Great Plains Productions, Kanata Productions, Strange Empire Productions); and his work for NFB, BBC, or other broadcasters.

The textual materials contain the complete business records of Great Plains Productions, creative records for specific projects (including scripts, notebooks, shot lists, story boards, and editing notes), administrative records for specific projects (including contracts, financial records, grant applications, and correspondence), developmental records related to unrealized projects, and personal records (including correspondence, speaking notes, speeches, and teaching material).

The films consist of home movies from Cardinal’s foster family (some of which were used as part of Foster Child); a tour of the Canadian Museum of Civilization with its architect, Douglas Cardinal; and release prints of Foster Child.

The videocassettes consist of original shooting tapes and completed masters of several projects. Most prominent among these are My Partners, My People, Our Home and Native Land, The Great Possibility, and David with F.A.S. There are also masters, but not shooting tapes, for several other projects including Big Bear, Chiefs (for both episodes directed by Cardinal), Totem, and others. Some of these masters are on DVD as well as videocassette.

The photographs, negatives, and slides consist of images shot by Cardinal during the course of filming, images of special events, and family photos.

The fonds consists of photographs taken by Hugo Viewegar and his son, Lute Vieweger. Of particular note are nine autochromes, 1913 - 1914, taken by Hugo Viewegar. The autochrome is a very rare early colour photographic process. The originals are 5"X7" and 3 1/2"X5" transparencies on glass plates. The subject matter is native people, Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP), family portraits, a house and a still life, all taken in Edmonton. Also by Hugo Viewegar are nine black and white photographs and four black and white negatives, 1913 - 1914, of homesteading, RNWMP, the City of Edmonton paddle steamer, and Edmonton scenes. Two of the prints are vintage albumen prints (RNWMP). The remainder of the above are modern prints. Also included are five black and white photographs and four black and white negatives, [193-], by Lute Vieweger, of riverboats, airplanes and Fort Chipewyan. All five prints are modern prints. Also included is an audio reel recording of an interview with Lute Vieweger about his life, recorded in 1974.

Fonds consists of photograph album depicting the Edmonton Indian Residential School in St. Albert, Alberta 1926-1937.

The fonds consists of 26 photographs of Northern Alberta and Northwest Territories including views of settlements, rivers, lakes, agriculture, industry, and the people of the region. The fonds also includes a scrapbook entitled, "From the Land of the Midnight Sun" containing 145 photographs of settlements, rivers, lakes, agriculture, industry, and the people of the region. The photographs in the scrapbook appear to have been taken during a trip up the Mackenzie River to Fort Macpherson and includes numerous images of First Nations Peoples of the region. The fonds dates from [1930].

The fonds consists of records from Lyman Jampolsky's time as principal of the Stony Sarcee Indian Agency, regional Inspector of Indian Schools for the Indian Affairs Branch, and Chief Superintendent of Vocational Training and Special Services, and primarily includes correspondence and reports.

The collection consists of reproduction photographs of images originally dating circa (ca.) 1895 from the Blackfoot Indian Reserve at Gleichen, North-West Territories, by photographers R.H. Trueman & Co. and N. Caple & Co., both of Vancouver, British Columbia, and a photograph dating ca. 1950 of the Blackfoot Indians at Gleichen, Alberta by Vern Kent of the Visual Education Branch of the Saskatchewan Department of Education.

The fonds consists of a booklet entitled, "A Historical Perspective of Pigeon Lake Reserve #138A" written by Casey Rowan and Rik Yellowbird in 1993.

The fonds consists of a booklet belonging to Samuel Henry Middleton entitled, "The Gospel According to St. Mathew", translated into Blackfoot by John William Time and published by the British Foreign Bible Society in 1890.

The fonds consists of 16 black and white negatives featuring members of the MacFarland and Wood families of Calgary, Alberta dating from ca. 1909. The fonds also includes six kodachrome 35 mm slides taken by William Betts in 1965 capturing Reg Kelly during an Honorary Chief Ceremony at the Saddle Lake Reserve with Chief Ralph Steinhauer presiding. The slides also feature Reg's wife, Mary White Jacket, and their son, Harvey.

The fonds consists of 6 VHS cassette copies of recordings of the Video Tape Recording Project at Brocket, Alberta.