Guest:
Dr. Crystal Lee was born and 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. In addition, she was an Indigenous HIV/AIDS Research Training Fellow at the University of Washington, Indigenous Wellness Research Institute and a Seminar Instructor at Harvard University Kennedy School. 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 is Founder/CEO of United Natives, a national non-profit organization that serves Indian Country on multiple initiatives (www.unitednatives.org) that focuses on delivering free mental tele-health services. United Natives was featured as one of USA Today’s top non-profits addressing COVID-19 in Indian Country nationwide. United Natives has prestigious partnerships with: L’Oreal, NFL Alumni Association, NBA Alumni Association, NASCAR, Fiesta Bowl, and the Boston Red Sox. Also, she is Founder/CEO of Dr. b Collections, a Native American fashion line (www.drbcollections.com), and recognized as the first Native American professional sports team owner who owned two men’s professional basketball teams in Mexico. She serves on the United Nations (UN) North American Indigenous Caucus, UN Global Indigenous Women’s Caucus, and L’Oreal USA Board for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She served as the Vice Chair for the Clark County NV, Democratic Party Native Caucus, Advisor for the Nevada Office of Minority Health and Equity, and on U.S. Congressman Steven Horsford’s Equity Cabinet Committee. 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. She was the 12th class of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 40-under-40 award.
Resources
- United Natives – A national nonprofit founded by Dr. Crystal Lee that provides free mental telehealth services across Indian Country.
- Dr. B Collections – Dr. Crystal Lee’s Native American fashion line.
- Video: Culturally Responsive Approaches to Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Nevada’s Tribal Nations Part 1: Understanding Historical Trauma and Native American Mental Health – Presented by Dr. Crystal Lee, this session explores historical trauma and Native American mental health.
- Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Nevada’s Native American Communities – An overview of the unique challenges faced by tribal communities and the culturally responsive strategies outlined in Nevada’s Statewide Plan.