Rachel Edwards was elected to and currently sits on the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC), the governing body of the Nez Perce Tribe. Rachel began her first three-year term on NPTEC on June 20, 2020. Rachel is the current NPTEC Secretary, a position that she previously held in 2020-2021. Rachel is the Vice Chair of the NPTEC Human Resources Subcommittee. The NPTEC Human Resources Subcommittee has oversight over tribal programs and issues including housing, tribal enrollment, education, seniors, veterans, and youth. The NPTEC Human Resources Subcommittee also has primary oversight over the Nimiipuu Health clinic which provides non-ambulatory health care on the Nez Perce Reservation to enrolled members of federally recognized Indian tribes. Rachel serves as the NPTEC liaison to the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, the Nez Perce Tribe Utilities Board, and Nez Perce Tribal Housing Board of Commissioners. Rachel sits as a member on the NPTEC subcommittees for Law and Order, Natural Resources, Land Enterprise Commission, Budget and Finance and Climate Change/Energy.
Prior to being elected to NPTEC, Rachel served as the Executive Assistant to the NPTEC from 1996 to 2020. In that role, Rachel helped set agendas for NPTEC meetings, draft resolutions and maintain the public records of NPTEC. Rachel also coordinated government-to-government consultations between the NPTEC and local, state and federal agencies, served as point of contact for outside communication to NPTEC, and maintained schedules and itineraries for each NPTEC Chairman. Rachel also had oversight over the Tribal Enrollment office and supervised all NPTEC Support staff.
Rachel began her long work history for the Nez Perce Tribe in 1973 as a Well Mother Baby Program Coordinator, and worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Land Services Department until moving to Florida in 1980. Rachel lived in Florida where she worked for the Jack Eckerd Corporation (Eckerd Drugs-now CVS) until her move back to Idaho in 1996.
Rachel was born in Lewiston, Idaho and raised in Lapwai (Sweetwater) where she graduated from Lapwai High School in 1969. She attended Lewis Clark State College studying Elementary Education to follow in the footsteps of her mother, France Paisano, sister, Marie and brother Ferris.