Why Indigenous Finance Is the Key to a Sustainable Future with Rebecca Adamson

In this episode, host Georges Dyer sits down with Rebecca Adamson, founder of First Peoples Worldwide, to explore Indigenous finance and its vital role in navigating the global energy transition. A pioneer in social investing, Adamson reflects on her trailblazing work in creating the first U.S. microloan fund and developing the first investment screen for Indigenous peoples’ rights.

 

Together, they unpack the new report Sustainable Indigenous Finance: Navigating the Energy Transition, a collaboration between First Peoples Worldwide, the US SIF, and ImpactARC. Adamson explains why over half of the world’s critical minerals for the energy transition are on Indigenous lands—and how investors can avoid repeating extractive patterns of the past.

Through stories, data, and deep wisdom, she makes a compelling case that Indigenous peoples are not a “risk to be managed,” but essential partners in managing risk and building a sustainable, values-driven economy. The conversation weaves together system-level investing, fiduciary duty, and ancient principles of balance and “enoughness” to explore a vision for the future of finance.

Resources:

• "Enoughness" film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPVrr44KHI

Keywords: Indigenous finance, energy transition, sustainable investing, fiduciary duty, systems-level investing, first peoples worldwide, social impact investing, responsible mining, values-based finance, enoughness