The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) unites us. From Gateway Community residents to thru-travelers, and everyone in between, our diverse community is connected by our mission to protect the CDT. We are showcasing stories of the people and places that make up our community with our series, Voices of the CDT. Each month, look out for new stories that highlight these diverse experiences, histories, and faces, against the backdrop of the awe-inspiring Continental Divide.
INTERESTED IN SHARING YOUR CONNECTION TO THESE LANDSCAPES? SEND US YOUR STORY AT [email protected] FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED!
CDTC New Mexico Regional Representative
CDTC: Can you give us a brief summary of your family’s background?
Cornell: We are the Torivio family from the Pueblo of Acoma located in the state of New Mexico. There are 19 of us: 5 daughters, 2 sons, 7 grandchildren, 3 sons-in-law, myself and their mother. 5 of my children have received their degrees from various universities and now work in the professional field. My youngest daughter is attending IAIA and will finish her studies and receive her degree in 2023. Our youngest son is in mid school and is our baby. Being a only child, I have blessed my parents with 7 awesome grandchildren and 7 amazing and beautiful great grandchildren
CDTC: How is your family historically connected to the Continental Divide landscape?
Cornell: Our family ties go back to when our ancestors first arrived and established our home at present day Acoma. The Continental Divide has provided and has sustained us for many generations. Our connection to the Continental Divide landscape is both religious and personally intimate to us, the Acoma People. Being from a very traditional family, we continue to practice our way of prayer and beliefs. The Continental Divide is not only a provider for us but is also our Church. It’s a place we go to for prayer and guidance, and a place of solitude that brings us in touch with Mother Earth and the Creator.
CDTC: How do you feel you are connected to the Continental Divide landscape personally, professionally, and emotionally?
Cornell: Personally, I spent a great deal of my life outdoors. Growing up on the Pueblo of Acoma, we raised cattle, farmed, gathered and hunted for sustenance on the Continental Divide. During my years in middle and high school, I committed myself to running cross-country and track. Running brought me in touch with the Continental Divide landscape during many trail run events, which also included the Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon. My passion for the outdoors gives me an opportunity to hike the beautiful Continental Divide landscape and personally has always provided the solitude to gather my thoughts and energy for the benefit of my health and well being.
Professionally, I have spent more than 20 years in the preservation, restoration and conservation fields. Working with the Pueblo of Acoma Historic Preservation, NPS, Southwest Conservation Corps, Ancestral Lands Conservation Youth Corps and Conservation Legacy has given me the opportunity to work within the Continental Divide landscape on many levels. I’ve worked in the conservation field in many capacities, from gathering material for the restoration of the San Estevan Del Rey Mission; to the preservation of ancestral prehistoric sites and historic homesteads; to revitalization of watersheds, waterways, and wetland areas; to eradicating invasive species; community engagement; trail construction and design; dry and wet farming; youth engagement; conservation education about forests urban parks and trails; wildlife conservation and conservation of native species of plants and animals.
Emotionally, I feel a great deal of attachment to the Continental Divide landscape. The emotions I carry when I am out hiking, hunting or exploring has brought me peace of mind. I often sit and just admire such beauty as the sun rises and sets in the evening. That alone has brought me humility. Listening to the trees speak as a breeze passes through, the birds singing their own song brings kindness to my heart. The Great Continental Divide also brings tears to my eyes, when I look around and see how society has plundered the land for financial gain and polluted our water systems and forest lands, affecting the wildlife habitat to this day and for many generations to come. Mother Earth is the giver of life and my emotions for her run deep into my heart and soul. She has given us the Continental Divide lands that continue to provide life for all who live in and around the Great Divide.
CDTC: What inspired you to be involved in conservation work?
Cornell: My passion for the outdoors inspired me to be involved in conservation work. Much of my life has revolved around being in touch with Mother Earth and has always inspired me to respect all that she has to offer. My involvement comes from a small ad in a newspaper that read “ Do you enjoy the outdoors? If so, call xxx-xxx-xxxx. I did, and met two awesome individuals that taught me how to use my passion for the outdoors to make a difference in conservation efforts in my own community and other Indigenous communities in the 4 corner states of NM, CO,AZ, and UT. To this day, the conservation work I got involved in all those years ago continues to grow and provide opportunities for young Native American Youth.
Here is the story that gave birth to Ancestral Lands.
It was 2 in the morning when my wife and I arrived home. As we sat and talked for a bit, we saw two young girls around the age of 13, wandering the streets in our subdivision. I went on to explain how heartbreaking it was to see our Native youth lack direction and guidance to help them attain a better future for themselves. How drugs, alcohol and domestic violence were the normal cycle within a lot of Naitve families within our own community and how our own tribal government was failing at providing opportunities for the youth of our Pueblo.
My wife then turned to me and said “well if the tribal government and nobody else aint going to do anything about this, then you do something about it”. At that moment the seed was planted and Ancestral Lands was born.
CDTC: What accomplishments are you most proud of in your conservation work?
Cornell: I am most proud of the Ancestral Lands Conservation Youth Corps. Being the Founder of such an amazing corps brings back the memory of why I founded Ancestral Lands. Which the program was created to bring opportunity to Native youth through engagement using conservation efforts in trail construction, revitalization of wetlands and waterways, preservation of cultural and historic sites, farming, and community clean up efforts.
Education in conservation and life skills were vital for Ancestral Lands and to see the accomplishment it had achieved in not only teaching the youth about the importance of protecting and preserving our own Naitve Lands and the lands that were stolen from all Indigenous People of North America, but also in giving Native youth a opportunity and gateway into higher education in many different professional fields. To help break the cycle of alcohol, drugs and domestic violence that affect so many rural Native American Communities and small urban towns across the US. The early success of Ancestral Lands Conservation Youth Corps brought the attention of Senator Tom Udall. Who, with our support, took the Ancestral lands program and used it as the model for the Native American Corps Act that has since passed through Congress and now provides funding opportunities for Indigenous communities across the United States. Indigenou communities can now use the Ancestral Lands model to create their own conservation/community corps and organizations within their communities.
CDTC: What goals do you have for your time at CDTC moving forward?
Cornell: Using my passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm, I commit myself to working with my fellow friends and colleagues at the CDTC. The goals I have outlined in my duties as the NM Regional Representative are to support CDTC’s strategic plan and the goals it has outlined, while working together with my fellow colleagues to educate the many diverse communities of New Mexico about the Continental Divide landscape and the trail corridor. I also hope to build new long-standing relationships with future supporters, donors, community organizations, volunteers, Indigenous communities and universities, conservation programs, and the general public, and to support existing relationships established by my colleagues with all state, federal and local agencies, Indigenous communities, Gateway Communities and ambassadors, stakeholders, funders and major donors of CDTC. Teamwork is the overall goal – it is the mortar that builds a solid foundation for us, the staff of CDTC, so we can continue to educate, engage, and enhance our support and protections of the CDT and all that it has to offer to outdoor enthusiasts, families, trail seekers, and visitors. Most importantly, I hope to help in preserving and protecting the connections it has to Indigenous communities, who have been sustained by the Continental Divide and to which the Divide holds cultural and religious significance.
Cornell “Corey” Torivio was born in San Bernardino, CA. He is Native American from the Pueblo of Acoma, NM. Corey has a BA in Culinary Arts and a passion for the outdoors, particularly wilderness and desert areas, and has devoted his life to giving Native youth an opportunity to be successful in the ever-changing world.The founder of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, he has built a strong foundation that, to this day, continues to change the lives of Native youth. Corey has been in the preservation and conservation field for more than 20 years. Having worked with Acoma’s Historic Preservation Office, he received the Heritage Preservation Award from former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for his outstanding work on the San Estevan Del Rey Mission at Old Acoma. He also has devoted his time to working with the National Park Service in the preservation of Native and Non-Native Historic and prehistoric sites in the El Malpais/El Morro conservation area and monument, Petrified Forest National Park, and Aztec Ruins National Monument. He continues to advocate for the protection of all cultural sensitive areas in and around the Four Corners Region, both Native and Non-Native. Corey began conservation work with the Southwest Conservation Corps in 2006, and he played a key role in SCC’s transformation to Conservation Legacy. Having served as a vice chair and board member for more than 13 years, he has been instrumental to conservation and trail efforts in the Southwest. Corey brings his knowledge and expertise in working with Indigenous communities, preservation, and conservation, with him to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. Corey’s most successful effort was having Ancestral Lands Youth Corps be the model of the Native American Conservation Act. Working with former Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), and many others, Corey helped guide this act through Congress, and it now provides opportunities for all Indigenous communities across the United States to build community conservation organizations. Corey believes in giving his 110% to CDTC and hopes to help build a stronger, brighter future, not only for CDTC, but for the trail itself.
