In 1990, Gil Cardinal and several partners (Wil Campbell, Tom Radford, Andy Thomson, and Dorothy Schreiber) formed Great Plains Productions, a Native-controlled film and video production company dedicated to the development of Native filmmakers and the creation of motion pictures from a Native perspective. In 1992, Great Plains Productions released its documentary series My Partners, My People on Global TV and CTV. This series featured thirteen half-hour episodes focusing on different aspects of contemporary Native culture across Canada and was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Documentary Series by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television in 1993.

Great Plains Productions was unincorporated in 1996.