Kogi People

We are the Kogi people. Our home is a very special place, high up in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of Colombia. We have lived here for a very, very long time, surrounded by tall, snowy peaks and deep, green forests. We believe that our mountain home is the 'Heart of the World.' For us, this means it is the center of life, a sacred place that keeps everything on the planet connected and healthy. Living here, we have learned to listen to the mountains, the rivers, and the trees. It is our responsibility to protect this important place.

We think of ourselves as the 'Older Brothers' of the world. In our beliefs, this means we have a special job to do. We believe our mother is the Earth, and it is our duty to take care of her. Our spiritual leaders, who we call Mamos, guide us in this important work. The Mamos are wise teachers who spend many years learning how to listen to nature and understand its secrets. They teach all of us how to live in balance so that we do not harm the Earth. We call other people in the world the 'Younger Brothers.' We want to share our message with you so that everyone can learn to help protect our planet.

To live in balance, we build our lives in a simple and careful way. Our villages are made of round houses with pointed roofs. We build them this way because they look like the mountains that surround us, which reminds us of our connection to our home. For our clothing, we weave simple white clothes from cotton that we grow. The clean, white color is special to us. It reminds us of the pure, white snow on the highest mountain peaks. We also grow our own food in small gardens, planting crops like potatoes and beans. By living a simple life and only taking what we need, we try to keep the Earth healthy and happy for everyone.

Today, we still live in our mountain home, just as our ancestors did for many generations. We continue to follow the old ways and listen to the teachings of the Mamos. But sometimes, we must leave our quiet villages to travel and speak with the Younger Brothers. We do this because we have an urgent and important message to share with the world. We believe the Earth is getting sick from not being taken care of properly. By protecting the 'Heart of the World,' we hope that our work can help heal the entire planet. Our work is to help everyone remember that we must all care for our shared home.