Indigenous Peoples Working Group
The Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IPWG) seeks to promote Indigenous leadership through programs and initiatives which link the SRI industry and Native communities.
Mission
The Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IPWG) of the SIF seeks to address the cultural disconnect which exists between Native and Non-Native peoples in general, but specifically in the area of socially responsible investing. IPWG partners with Native American organizations and leaders in order to achieve this goal. It works to coordinate research, outreach, education, and advocacy around financial and economic matters that affect Indigenous Peoples’ cultures and communities. By adopting more inclusive strategies, IPWG strives to better address the topics of investment, development and business practices as they concern Indigenous Peoples.
Steering Committee
- Susan White, Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin Dept. of Trust (co-chair)
- Jan Bryan, CFP® (co-chair)
- Rebecca Adamson, First Peoples Worldwide
- Steven Heim, Boston Common Asset Management
- Stephanie Leighton, Trillium Asset Management
- Reed Montague, Calvert Investments
Native American Leaders for SRI 2009
Building Bridges -
Native Communities, Native Peoples and SRI
On October 24, 2009 the Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IPWG) of the Social Investment Forum will host a one-day preconference event that will bring together Native American leaders and SRI practitioners to share and learn from one another on socially responsible investment (SRI) issues in their communities. The conference is designed for treasurers, chief financial officers, tribal leaders, portfolio managers and others in the responsible investment field.
More information on this year's event:
Native American Leaders for SRI - October 2009
Photos and presentations of the last event:
Native American Leaders in SRI - November 2007
Certified Financial Planner™ Scholarship
The Social Investment Forum Foundation has created a scholarship fund to enable a Native American student to take the College for Financial Planning comprehensive On-line Mentor course of instruction. This course prepares students to pass the Certified Financial Planner® Certification Examination. This accreditation has become one of the standard requirements for entry into a very competitive field, and the College of Financial Planning provides one of the best processesto train for the CFP exam and forthe practice of financial planning. Additionally, as part of our mission we seek awardees with a committment to socially responsible investing.
Click here for more information on the scholarship.
2009 Scholarship Recipient
Jason Campbell, Arete Development Group 
As an educator, businessman, consultant, outdoors-man, and enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe, Jason Campbell is an active player for positive change in Indian Country.
In 1994, Mr. Campbell graduated from Washington State University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in Small Business Development. Upon graduation, Mr. Campbell seized an opportunity with a small literacy company called Read Right Systems in Washington State to fulfill his desire to create positive change. The 14 years that Mr. Campbell spent with Read Right Systems served as an invaluable period of professional growth and development. In 2008, Mr. Campbell maintained full responsibilities in his position with Read Right Systems while simultaneously earning a Master of Business Administration degree from the American Indian Entrepreneurship program at Gonzaga University.
In 2008, Mr. Campbell extended himself beyond Read Right Systems and launched his own consulting firm. Arete Development Group was created with a mission to serve as a small business development support to Tribes, Tribal entities, public, charter, and BIA schools. Arete Development group has positioned itself to be a small business incubator for native entrepreneurs on or near reservations. Arete Development Group is targeting the professional development of native entrepreneurs in conjunction with Tribal entities as well as VoTech programs in Tribal colleges. Current efforts are centered around Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete products that are sustainable and contribute significantly to LEED project certification in residential, commercial, and municipality applications.
In addition, Mr. Campbell is presently the advisor and Director of Education and Training for the Native Affairs and Development Group in Washington, D.C., which is an organization founded to serve Native Americans. His interest and excellence in project development, management, and team assembly is being utilized in cultivating collaborative solutions to support the empowerment of Indian Country.
Guides & Resources
The Resource Guide to Socially Responsible Investing and Native American & Indigenous Peoples’ Issues was made available to attendees.This resource provides websites and organizations focused on Native American SRI and Community Investing as well as basic SRI terminology. The Resource Guide is available here.
First Peoples Worldwide released a report on the history of investing in American Indian societies in North America, highlighting some of the first social investors on record:
The Histories of Social Investing & Indigenous Peoples.
A presentation on Native Americans and Shareholder Activism was given by Susan White, IPWG co-chair, in September 2008 along with Sr. Susan Mika, a Benedictine Sister and Jonny Bearcub, Business Manager at Native Energy. Each panelist covered issues affecting Native American or indigenous populations and how shareholder activism is used to affect change.
For more information, contact Program Coordinator Sylvia Panek - spanek@socialinvest.org