Staff

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Founder/Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Lee (Dine') was born/raised on the Navajo Nation. Her tribal clans are Tachii’nii (Red Running into the Water), Tabaaha (Water’s Edge), Tsenjikini (Cliff Dwellers), and Kin I ichii’nii (Red House). She completed her undergraduate degree(s) at Arizona St. University;  MPH and PhD in Public Health degree(s) at University of Las Vegas-Nevada; MLS in Indigenous Peoples Law at University of Oklahoma, College of Law; Predoctoral Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health; and her Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of California-Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. Currently, she is faculty,  Assistant Professor, at University of New Mexico, College of Population Health and an Indigenous HIV/AIDS Research Training Fellow at University of Washington, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. She conducts infectious disease biomedical prevention research with a focus on Native American health and examines Indigenous health policies at a tribal, state-tribal coordination, national, and international level. She serves as Vice Chair for the Clark County NV, Democratic Party Native  Caucus, Advisor for the Nevada Office of Minority Health and Equity; and on the United Nations (UN) North American Indigenous Caucus, UN Indigenous Women’s Caucus, and UN Gender Equality Task Force. She also serves as a Board of Director of the Las Vegas Indian Center and a Board of Director for L'Oreal USA Diversity and Inclusion.  She served as a Tribal Health Advisor to the Obama Administration and was honored by President Bill Clinton for her work with Indigenous communities at the Clinton Global Initiative.  

Email: drcrystal@unitednatives.org

Educational Liaison 

Mercedes Krause (Oglala Lakota)  was born and raised in Las Vegas, and is a dual-citizen of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation. She is a nationally recognized teacher who has worked extensively in the International Community, as well as tribal communities. Mercedes currently serves as the Chair for the Clark County American Indian/Alaskan Native Democratic Caucus, Secretary for the State Native American Caucus, and serves on the Las Vegas Indian Center's Board, Clark County Dems Board, Battleborn Progress’ Board, and serves as Vice-chair of the Native American Alumni Club at UNLV. Additionally, she currently is obtaining a second Master's degree in Native American Studies at Montana State University. Last, she is a 2019 Emerge Alumni and serves on the Superintendent's Advisory Committee with the Nevada Department of Education and as a Commissioner on the Nevada Minority Affairs Commission (Housing Committee Co-chair and Education Committee Chair). She now oversees the Educational Mentorship Program with United Natives. 

Project Assistant

Nazhoona Betsuie (Diné) was born in Phoenix, Arizona and is orginally from the Navajo Nation. She is a current undergraduate student at Arizona State University and is majoring in Public Service and Public Policy with a concentration in Sustainability and a minor in American Indian Studies. She has been active in the indigenous student community at ASU and has served as an indigenous student leader throughout her undergraduate career.  Creating and supporting community-led action and initiatives are what she strives to continue to do after she completes her degree. 

Email: nazhoonab@gmail.com