A cornerstone of our youth development programming here at the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is the “Rooted in Healthy Traditions” program, made possible through our valued partnership with the Zuni Public School District and Zuni Education and Career Development Center. This semester, we are offering after-school programming in knowledge sharing, food sovereignty, physical activity and art to 35 third- to fifth-graders at Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School.
Supporting our program leaders every step of the way are six youth mentors. Mentor Ryann Cornelius, 24, shares the fifth-grade group with fellow mentor Jasmine Bradley, and her connection with ZYEP goes back almost to the very beginning of the youth project.
Ryann was born in Zuni and lived in the pueblo for most of her childhood. In 2010, she and her brother needed something to do for the summer, so they decided to take part in ZYEP’s 2nd annual Summer Camp.
“Summer Camp was really fresh back then,” says Ryann, who was 10 years old at the time. “The counselors were still learning.”
One of her counselors was Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, who now serves as ZYEP’s executive director.
“Ryann is just incredible,” Tahlia says. “I had the privilege of having her as a summer camper, and she left an impact on me. She is one of the reasons I knew I wanted to serve youth for the rest of my life because of the potential and transformative power they have. She was one of those kids.”
In the early days, ZYEP held Summer Camp in the old Twin Buttes High School building. Ryann remembers playground time across the street after lunch, watering and caring for the plants in a nearby garden, learning archery, and taking hikes around Zuni with a cultural mentor who would tell the children stories about the different places they visited.
“It was so much fun, and it was a safe space,” she says. “I love the old high school for that reason, for the memories it holds.”
Ryann’s affection for Summer Camp led her to apply for a counselor position during her sophomore year of high school. That was the last year in the old space; when she served as a counselor a second time, following her junior year, she had the opportunity to experience the brand-new ZYEP facility at Ho’n A:wan Park and make even more precious memories with old and new campers alike.
Ryann says she deeply appreciated these summers in Zuni, as she moved to Albuquerque with her father following eighth grade and attended high school there. After her 2019 graduation, an even bigger move loomed: She enrolled at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she earned her degree in Native/Indigenous studies and anthropology in 2023.
“It was a huge move,” Ryann reflects. “New Hampshire was another world for me. I wanted to explore, and going to college at Dartmouth was great, but I knew in my heart I ultimately wanted to go home. I think I knew that even back in high school.”
Upon her return to Zuni, Ryann says she and her sister set goals for pursuing a more active lifestyle. They learned about Running Medicine Zuni through ZYEP and decided to join.
“It was so nice to be with our community again, exploring the trails,” she says. “It was good to reconnect with ZYEP, too. I saw Tahlia, and that planted a seed. I started to think about how I could help ZYEP in some capacity.”
Not long after that, Ryann saw a post about RHT on Instagram. She qualified for the mentor position and immediately reached out to Tahlia and Tara Wolfe, ZYEP’s program manager.
“They encouraged me to apply,” she says. “It was so nice to have that support.”
The RHT program is now finishing up its fifth week, and Ryann says she is having a wonderful experience with her fifth-graders.
“I love seeing their smiles, greeting them, guiding them,” she explains. “It’s so important for all kids to have positive mentors and role models, and I love being that for them — someone who is there, who is listening with open ears and an open heart.”
Ryann notes that her ZYEP experiences over the years have had a lasting impact on her plans for the future. While she isn’t exactly sure how her journey will unfold, she knows she would like to work in healthcare.
“I want to support the youth in our community by providing care to pregnant women and mothers,” she says. “At some point, I will go back to school and then come home to work, maybe as an ob/gyn (obstetrician gynecologist).”
Ryann expresses interest in bringing Zuni culture into her work, due to the cultural loss the community suffers when the number of intergenerational households declines. She says stories pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth, and sensitivity to cultural practices and taboos, need to be integrated into healthcare for Native women.
“A community rooted in its culture is healthier and stronger,” she observes. “I care for our kids. I want them to succeed. I want to support them and help build a strong future for our community.”
Ryann expresses her gratitude that ZYEP is still here, continuing to help others the way it has helped her. We also are grateful for Ryann as a RHT mentor and as a member of our Zuni community.
“She is growing into such an amazing young woman,” Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho says. “I believe in her so much, and she is going to make a positive impact in this world. In fact, she already is.”
