Secluded for centuries in the highest coastal mountain range in the world, in the most Northern part of Colombia, live an indigenous ethnic group known as Kogi in the village of Santa Nevada de Santa Marta. Kogi means jaguar in their language, and they trace their origin to mythical jaguar beings. Centuries ago they were a large and advanced civilization, but under the Spanish Conquest their numbers dwindled and they fled to seclusion in the high mountains. Here they have remained and since that time their lifestyle and belief system have changed little. Their lives are led around a belief in Aluna, the force behind nature and creator of all living things. The Kogi understand the Earth to be a living being, and see humanity as its children. They say that our actions of exploitation, devastation, and plundering for resources is weakening Aluna and leading to our destruction.
From birth the Kogi attune their priests, called Mamos (which means sun in Kogi), for guidance, healing, and leadership. The Mamos are not to be confused with shamans or curers but to be regarded as tribal priests who hold highly respected roles in Kogi society. Mamos undergo strict training to assume this role. Selected male children are taken from birth and put in a dark cave for the first nine years of their lives to begin this training. In the cave, elder Mamos and the child's mother care for, feed, train, and teach the child to attune to Aluna before the boy enters the outside world. Through deep concentration, symbolic offerings, and divination, the Mamos believe they support the balance of harmony and creativity in the world.
A Kogi 'Mamo' (tribal leader) dances in trance during Cualama, a 10 day ritual which happens twice a year. The ceremony pays honor to the change in season and mother nature (called 'Aluna' or 'The Great Mother'), appealing her for abundant rains and a good harvest. This community of 55 homes, within Colombia's La Guajira region, all utilize solar panels as they are too remote to be grid tied.
The Kogi, meaning ‘Jaguar’ in their language, are an indigenous ethnic group living in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada. Their belief system is deeply rooted in the knowledge that people and nature are intrinsically connected. They understand the Earth to be a living being and see humanity as its children. The Kogi are unique among Latin America’s indigenous cultures as the Spanish or other European colonizers never conquered them. As such, they represent the most complete surviving civilization of pre-Colombian America.