Crystal is a Blackfoot member of the Kainai First Nation of Treaty 7. She grew up on the Blood Reserve and as a child roamed the halls of the University of Lethbridge where her mother was studying to earn her Bachelor of Education degree. This inspired Crystal to enroll at the University of Calgary, where she majored in English Literature. After completing her B.A., Crystal pursued a career in teaching. She completed her Master of Education degree with a specialty in Adult and Workplace Environmental Learning, and now works as the Indigenous Consultant to Curriculum at Bow Valley College.