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She is "métis," the French cognate of Spanish "mestizo," indicating a person of mixed American Aboriginal and European ancestry (usually an Algonquian ethnic group and a Celtic or/and French ethnic group). Cardinal is Cree and French. Daughter with husband John Lawlor, Riel. She was named after Louis Riel, the Métis father of Manitoba (which originated as a quasi-independent Métis nation, of which Riel was the first and only president). Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1994. Native activism was reaching its height in the late 60s and early 1970s when she began experimenting with acting. As a young actress, Cardinal began her career with a docudrama for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) and in productions for the Alberta Native Communications Society. Received many awards in recognition of her acting accomplishments and her dedication to the native community, including: the Best Actress Award at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco; the Theatrical Sterling Award for Best Actress in "All My Relations" (1990); the Native Indian Film Festival's Eagle Spirit Award for lifetime contribution to the native artistic community; and an Outstanding Achievement award from the Toronto chapter of Women in Film and Television (WIFT). She also accepted the Sun Hill Award for Excellence in Native American Filmmaking. She married Fred Martin following high school graduation. The marriage suffered by her strong social activism which for the most part took her away from her husband and son Cheyenne. The marriage ended in 1976 and Fred went on to raise their son.