The Kogi

The Kogi are indigenous people and direct descendants of the Tairona, who were a pre-Colombian civilization in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta area of Colombia, South America. They go back to the first century AD, and survived the Spanish conquest. They have been able to preserve their way of living even today.

This tribe known as Los Kogui are custodians of the Tairona culture. They live off the land, and marry in their culture. They disdain outsiders. They move about the different levels of the mountain range in the Sierra Nevada between different abodes planting crops. They take care of their nutritional needs without abusing the environment.

The Sierra Nevada

The mountain is shaped like a pyramid and is 17,000 feet above sea level (30 horizontal miles) from the coast of the Caribbean. It extends from the tropical jungle shores to the snow capped peaks. Day and night are of equal length all year long. In 1965 archeologists found the remnants of a Tairona religious center and called it the Lost City. There are rumors of two more lost cities.

The Kogi call themselves the Elder Brothers and consider themselves caretakers and stewards of the planet. They consider the Sierra Nevada as the Heart of the World. They have a keen understanding of the planet being an integrated unit of which we are an integral part. Their mission is to keep things in balance.

They have survived as a culture because of their ability to be totally mind focused. This has enabled them to remain physically separate from the rest of humanity. They are protectors of the rain forest, and are concerned about its destruction.

Their shaman are called Mamas, and are chosen at birth for their specific mission as priests and judges of their society. They are sensitive to the large scale deforestation of the jungle, and the threat to the habitat of the Sierra Nevada.

These ancient civilizations have much to teach us. In 1990 the Kogi sent a message to us, the Younger Brothers. They did this even though they have survived because of their isolation. Observing that their mountain, the Sierra Nevada, was out of balance with snows not falling and rivers not full, they intuitively knew that the world was in trouble.

They sent one of their own who spoke Spanish to contact Alan Ereira, a British film producer, who was in Colombia at the time. In cooperation with the BBC he made a film that expressed their concern about the health of the planet. For more specific information check out the Tairona Heritage Trust website. The trust was set up to support the Kogi and buy back some of their original lands so they will again have access to the sea.

Roles Models for Humanity

They are extreme role models for us as they signify all that leads to balance and harmony whether in the middle of a South American rain forest, or the middle of Times Square. A close look at their values and lifestyle will help eliminate many child behavior disorders and parenting problems. There is much we have forgotten and take for granted. This is a society that not only helps us remember what is vital in our family life, but also what is necessary for us all to survive as a species on this most wonderful planet that we are so honored to inhabit.

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