Decolonizing Wealth is a provocative analysis of the dysfunctional colonial dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance. Award-winning philanthropy executive Edgar Villanueva draws from the traditions from the Native way to prescribe the medicine for restoring balance and healing our divides.


With great compassion-because the Native way is to bring the oppressor into the circle of healing, understanding that healing cannot occur unless everyone is part of the process- Villanueva diagnoses the fatal flaws in financial institutions, unflinchingly drilling down to the core of colonialism and White supremacy. The greed, exploitation, and domination at the core of colonization are the same dynamics at play today when money is used to separate Us from Them and to separate Haves from Have-Nots. To restore harmony and heal divides-as we desperately need to do in America and the world- we must learn how to decolonize the institutions and processes that control and move money. Although there is no quick fix for the traumatic complexity of colonization, Villanueva's 'Seven Steps for Healing' outline a process to follow, from taking responsibility, to inviting the perspectives and wisdom of people most excluded and exploited by today's broken economy, to investing with integrity and making reparations. There are roles for everyone involved, whether they're rich or poor, funder or recipient, victim or perpetrator. Integrating traditional indigenous wisdom with savvy financial experience, this books explains how money can be used to facilitate relationships, to help us thrive, and to bring things back into balance.