Rebecca Adamson facts for kids

Rebecca Adamson (born in 1950) is an American businessperson and advocate. She is known for starting two important groups: the First Nations Development Institute and First Peoples Worldwide.

Rebecca's Early Life

Rebecca L. Adamson was born in Akron, Ohio. Her mother was Cherokee, and her father was from Sweden. Rebecca grew up in Akron. But she spent her summers with family in Lumberton, North Carolina. There, she learned a lot about the history and culture of Native Americans. She is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Rebecca studied at Southern New Hampshire University. She earned a master's degree in economic development. Now, she teaches a class there about how Indigenous (Native) communities manage their money and resources.

Rebecca's Career and Work

After high school, Rebecca studied philosophy, law, and economics. In 1970, she left college to help Native American children. At that time, many Native children were taken from their homes. They were sent to boarding schools run by the government or missionaries. The goal was to make them forget their native languages and cultures. Rebecca worked to stop this practice.

From 1972 to 1976, Rebecca helped lead the Coalition of Indian-Controlled School Boards in Denver, Colorado. This group worked to give Native American communities control over their own schools. Before this, the U.S. government and religious groups had run these schools for over 100 years. Rebecca's work helped create the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975. This law gave Native American tribes more power to govern themselves.

Starting New Organizations

In 1982, Rebecca started the First Nations Development Institute. This group helps Native American communities build their own businesses and improve their economies.

She also advised the United Nations (UN) on rural development. Later, she advised the UN on the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world.

Helping Native Communities Grow

Rebecca's work led to the first microloan fund on a Native American reservation in the United States. Microloans are small loans that help people start businesses. She also helped create a new way for tribes to invest their money. Her efforts also pushed for changes in how the government handles land for Native Americans.

Rebecca's work has reached other countries too.

• In Australia, she helped create the Lumba Aboriginal Community Foundation.
• She helped the San Tribe in southern Africa get back their traditional lands.

She also worked with big companies like Alcoa and Ford. She helped them create rules for investing that protect the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Rebecca also helped Native people get better education. She started scholarship programs at important universities like Yale School of Management. She also convinced the World Bank to create a fund. This fund gives small grants to Indigenous communities for building projects.

Working for Transparency and Justice

The Obama administration chose Rebecca to serve on a committee. This committee worked to make sure that reporting on natural resource extraction (like mining or oil drilling) was clear and honest.

Rebecca is also involved with groups that focus on socially-responsible investing. This means investing in companies that are good for society and the environment.

In 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe asked Rebecca for help. They were protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. This pipeline was planned to go near their reservation and a river they used for drinking water. Rebecca helped create a plan to get investors to pressure the pipeline builders. She got many investors, who controlled over $1.7 trillion, to ask the banks funding the pipeline to support the tribe's request to change the pipeline's route. Her work encouraged activists to demand that companies share more information about environmental and social risks. Her efforts also led to several major banks pulling out of the pipeline project.

Awards and Recognition

Rebecca Adamson has received many awards for her important work:

• In 1996, she received the Robert W. Scrivner Award for her work in giving grants. She also got the Jay Silverheels Award.
• Ms. magazine named her one of their "Women of the Year" in 1997.
• In 1998, Who Cares magazine called her one of the top 10 Social Entrepreneurs of the Year.
• She received the John W. Gardener Leadership Award in 2001.
• In 2004, she was named Schwab's Outstanding Social Entrepreneur.

In 2012, Rebecca was featured on PBS' MAKERS: Women Who Make America program. This show highlights influential women in America.

Rebecca writes a monthly column for Indian Country Today newspaper. In 2015, when asked about her achievements, she said, "I come from a matrilineal society and having women be a source of power was there in my DNA." This means her culture has always valued women as strong leaders.