First Nations Cultural Education Centres
What Are Cultural Centres?
Cultural Education Centres represent and promote the social, cultural, and linguistic diversity of First Nations people. They play a prominent role in collecting, documenting, and preserving languages and cultures to keep them alive for future generations.
They utilize technology to help make languages dynamic and relevant to children and youth in today’s world and provide much-needed support in a world of competing technologies and social media. This is especially important where First Nations languages are critically endangered or on the verge of extinction.
They serve as ambassadors on behalf of their communities and actively seek to build relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to help confront the racism and prejudice that exist against First Nations People.
Education Programs
Cultural Centres support education-related programs, including:
- Curriculum development for Band and provincial schools
- Teacher training and resource support for schools
- Language classes
- Culture and language presentations and workshops
- Life skills development
- Creating audio/visual resources and web pages
- Production of materials for teachers, museums, archives, resource centres, libraries and post-secondary schools
Community Programs
Cultural Centres develop community programs and deliver services such as:
- Summer camps
- Traditional sweat lodges and ceremonies
- Outdoor skill development
- Cultural tourism opportunities
- Community language classes
- Traditional healing practices
- Protection of Elders’ teachings and traditional knowledge
- Adult language lessons
- Ceremonial and cultural celebrations
- Linking contemporary technologies to traditional skills
- Cultural awareness programs