Personal Snapshot

Rebecca Adamson is the daughter of a Cherokee Native American and a Swedish army officer. She grew up between the Swedish community in Ohio and the Qualla reservation in North Carolina. She started First Nations in 1980 when she realized that the existing government entities and private organizations were only increasing the dependency of Native Americans on public funds rather than empowering them. She began what was to be a transformational organization with her unemployment check and a USD 25,000 grant.

Before starting First Nations, she was instrumental in developing tribal schools and securing the enabling legislation. For five years, she was in and out of jail because at the time, Native Americans were not allowed to interfere in educational matters.

Rebecca Adamson has served as a trustee of The Calvert Group for over 14 years. She was behind the idea to create “Community Notes” which have brought over USD 189 million of capital to community financial institutions. On her recommendation, in 2003 the World Bank introduced the First Global Indigenous People’s Facility Fund to make small capacity building grants to indigenous communities throughout the world.