Elizabeth Mercedes Krause has been an educator and union activist for over 20 years. A proud dual-citizen of the Oglala, Lakota Nation born and raised in Nevada, Krause has continuously stood with community members working to make a more just and equitable Nevada. She currently serves the state in several capacities: as a commissioner on the Nevada Minority Affairs Commission, co-founder of Indigenous Educators Empowerment, Chair of the Nevada Native Caucus, and on the boards of the Nevada State Education Association, the Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition – Native American Steering Committee, the ACLU of Nevada, and the Nevada Democratic Party.