Wumaniti Earth Native Sanctuary
Grants Awarded
The desired nonprofit program focuses on enhancing community connections, strengthening youth leadership, and promoting safety. The program is designed to involve 200+ participants in a series of workshops at the Wumaniti Sanctuary where partnerships with tribal education programs and Title I schools ensure engagement from low-income and Indigenous youth. The workshops use an innovative 'War Horse' methodology which fosters self-regulation, empathy, responsibility, balance, trust, and cultural heritage via interactive activities such as animal grooming, horse riding, ground archery, and horseback archery, ultimately guiding youngsters towards community leadership. Safety is paramount, with certified instructors overseeing protocols while employing safe equipment and high instructor-to-student ratios. The program concludes with service-oriented activities, emphasizing the importance of giving back and reinforcing leadership principles.
Wumaniti Earth Native Sanctuary (WENS) is a New Mexico-based 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated in Taos County in 2014. WENS is dedicated to healing, cultural preservation, and land stewardship. Founded by “Gemma” Kristin DiFerdinando—a homesteader, world champion equestrian, sustainable builder, and International nomadic horsewoman—Wumaniti serves as a bridge between ancestral wisdom and modern sustainability. Our mission is to provide a sanctuary where youth and families reconnect with the Earth through equine culture, indigenous nomadic arts, including sustainable building, livestock husbandry, and regenerative agriculture. As a BIPOC-led organization, we focus on empowering Indigenous and under-served communities. Our funding is sustained through private donations, community fundraisers, and “in-kind” volunteer labor from a dedicated network of homesteaders and builders. Recent accomplishments include: International Representation: Representing New Mexico at the 2024 World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan and winning international tournaments in South Korea alongside my 11-year-old daughter (Taos Pueblo). Notably, I am the first foreigner to complete the 1,000km Mongolian Urtuu race in 9 days on 34 half-wild horses. The “War Horse Path”: Developing a specialized curriculum for Indigenous/Rural youth combining the sacred wisdom of the horse with traditional archery and animal husbandry skills. Sustainable Infrastructure: Advancing in a 30-acre regenerative sanctuary, featuring natural adobe structures built through community “work-bees.” Healing through Heritage: Facilitating trauma-informed healing programs that integrate nomadic practices with practical homesteading skills. Wumaniti is a living classroom where the next generation learns “Inner Sovereignty” and the responsibility of protecting our outdoor spaces.