The Cultural/Educational Centres Program (CECP) was started within Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) in 1971 as a way to help First Nations and Inuit communities to preserve and promote their culture and heritage. The CECP provides financial assistance to First Nations, tribal/district councils, Inuit communities and First Nation/Inuit non-profit corporations to preserve, develop and promote First Nations and Inuit culture and heritage, by delivering programs and services which have been developed at the community levels. This is done by funding established centres, which develop and operate cultural/educational programs for First Nations and Inuit people to participate in, and for the general public to experience.

The Cultural/Educational Centres Program was designed to provide assistance, both financial and otherwise, to help First Nations and Inuit people establish and operate cultural/educational centres. Objectives of these centres could include:

• reviving and developing traditional and contemporary cultural skills;
• conducting and/or facilitating research in First Nations/Inuit heritage and culture;
• increasing First Nations/Inuit peoples' knowledge and use of their traditional languages;
• developing linguistic learning resources;
• developing culturally-oriented educational materials;
• promoting cross-cultural awareness;
• developing and increasing access to new and more accurate information about First Nations/Inuit heritage; and
• improving opportunities for Canadians to become knowledgeable about, and sensitive to, the historical and current role of First Nations/Inuit people in Canada.

Funding is granted to First Nations/Inuit communities, tribal/district councils, and non-profit corporations based on availability, budget and program approval, and community support. Once funding is granted, regular activity reports, financial reports, and audits are requested as required.

In 2000-2001, the CECP supported about 105 cultural centres across Canada with an annual budget of approximately $8.2 million. It was able to do this through an administrative arrangement directly with some centres and through the First Nation Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres (FNCCEC).

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