Tamaya Wellness Center: Expanding outdoor access for Santa Ana Pueblo youth
Tamaya Wellness Center – Santa Ana Pueblo
Read the full story by The Semilla Project: semillaproject.org/tamaya-wellness-center
Located in the Santa Ana Pueblo, the Tamaya Wellness Center is more than a recreation space, it’s a hub for community wellness, cultural connection, and youth development. With support from New Mexico’s Outdoor Equity Fund, the Center has expanded its ability to connect young people to the outdoors in ways that are both meaningful and culturally grounded.
At the heart of this work is the Tamaya Outdoor Adventure Club, which creates opportunities for youth to explore beyond their immediate surroundings. OEF funding has helped remove barriers like transportation, cost, and access — opening the door for experiences that many participants are having for the first time.
Through these experiences, youth are building more than outdoor skills. They’re gaining confidence, strengthening relationships with peers, and developing a deeper understanding of their connection to land, water, and culture. Trips to places like the Jemez Mountains introduce new environments while reinforcing values like stewardship and respect for natural spaces.
What makes Tamaya’s approach especially impactful is how it integrates cultural teachings into every experience. Outdoor activities are not separate from identity, they are a pathway to it. Youth learn that the landscapes around them are not just places to visit, but part of a living cultural tradition that they play a role in carrying forward.
The impact of this investment goes beyond individual experiences. By expanding access to outdoor recreation in a way that reflects community values, the Tamaya Wellness Center is helping cultivate a generation of young people who feel confident outdoors, connected to their heritage, and invested in caring for the land.
This Outdoor Equity Fund produces long-term value, supporting programming that expand access and strengthens communities from within.