Kogi people

The Kogi (/ˈkoʊɡi/ KOH-gee), or Cogui, or Kágaba, meaning "jaguar" in the Kogi language, are an Indigenous group that resides in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains in northern Colombia. Their culture has continued since the Pre-Columbian era.

The Kogi language belongs to the Chibchan family.^{[citation needed]}

The Kogi people are descendants of the Tairona culture, which flourished before the times of the Spanish conquest. The Tairona were an advanced civilization which built many stone structures and pathways in the jungles. They made many gold objects which they would hang from trees and around their necks. They lived similarly to modern-day Kogi. Before the Spanish conquistadors arrived, the Tairona were forced to move into the highlands when the Caribs invaded around 1000 CE. Their new area proved strategic when the Spanish entered in the 15th century.^{[citation needed]}

Later, missionaries came and also began to influence their way of life, building chapels and churches amidst their villages to train and convert the locals. In the years since, the Kogi have remained in their home in the mountains, which allows them to escape the worst effects of colonisation and aids them in preserving their traditional way of life.

The Kogi base their lifestyles on their belief in "Aluna" or the thoughts of "The Great Mother", their creator figure, who they believe is the force behind nature, prior to creating the universe. The "Mother" is called "Gaulčováng", and, beyond the creator-goddess having created the world in a primal sea based on a number of pre-existent images in her mind ("aluna"), versions diverge. The incestuous relationship between the "mother" and her son (Sintána), which gave way to sibling incest among their children, gave birth to humanity. 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 "The Great Mother" and leading to our destruction.

Like many other Indigenous tribes, the Kogi honor a holy mountain which they call "Gonawindua," otherwise known as Pico Cristóbal Colón. They believe that this mountain is "The Heart of the World" and they are the "Elder Brothers" who care for it. They also say that the outside civilization is the "Younger Brothers" who were sent away from The Heart of the World long ago.

From birth the Kogi attune members of their society, called mamos ("suns") or mamás, for guidance, healing, and leadership. The mamos are tribal priests, highly respected in Kogi society, and are not shamans or curers. To assume this role, Mamos undergo strict training from childhood, starting at least before the age of 5. It takes place in isolated, high-altitude places of a few houses or caves. Elder mamas care for, feed, train, and teach the child to attune to their thought before the boy enters the outside world. During training, the two or three novices (kuívi: "abstinent ones") are trained to overcome the dates and cycles that decide events, through abstinence in sexuality, food consumption, sleep and nightlife.

Through deep concentration, symbolic offerings, and divination, the mamos believe they support the balance of harmony and creativity in the world. It is also in this realm that the essence of agriculture is nurtured: seeds are blessed in Aluna before being planted, to ensure they grow successfully; marriage is blessed to ensure fertility; and ceremonies are offered to the various spirits of the natural world before tasks such as harvest and hut building.