About
Crystal Austin (Diné), of the Zuni Edgewater clan and born for the Towering House clan, is a dedicated storyteller, leader, and advocate for Indigenous wellbeing. With over 18 years of experience, she is nationally recognized in early childhood home visiting curricula and practices within tribal communities.
Crystal currently serves as the Communications Director and Co-Director of External Affairs at the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health. In this dual role, she leads strategic communications, external partnerships, and narrative change efforts that elevate Indigenous voices and champion pathways to wellness across generations.
She has dedicated her career to supporting and training tribal communities nationwide, helping them integrate home visiting and early childhood programs. She has shared her knowledge to initiatives for maternal and child health, community-based program development, and Indigenous-centered approaches to healing and family support. In addition to her communications and external affairs leadership, Crystal directs and guides several initiatives across the Center, including the Center’s international collaborations and partnership building.
She is a children’s book author, with two co-authored titles and a forthcoming book. As a proud mother, she draws inspiration from her own family and remains committed to uplifting stories that honor Indigenous identity, language, and the beauty of childhood.
Crystal and her family make their home on the unceded homelands of the Onk Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Xalychidom Piipaash (Maricopa) Peoples in Phoenix, Arizona, though she will always call Diné Bikéyah (northern AZ) home.
