The KOGI, Lost Tribe with a Message of Peace

The KOGI, Lost Tribe with a Message of Peace


Around 25 years ago I saw an amazing video called from the “Heart of the World.” It was about a unique Indigenous
community that lived in Northern Colombia who say they are keeping the world in balance. I was so impressed because
they are still living with the same spiritual values and traditions of their ancestors, but the ecological warning the
Kogi’s shared touched a nerve.
The nerve was I needed to more about this special Tribe…One day I would be with them on their land and learn the secrets
of the Mamos.

I was born in Bogota, Colombia in 1959 and came to the US in 1960, so I never had a chance to really understand my roots
and my Colombian heritage. When I saw how the Kogi lived I was determined to find a way to meet them. The only problem was
they don’t like tourists and getting into their land is very difficult, not to mention that today there is para-military
control, a FRAC guerrillas, corrupt officials and not sure who to trust. We forget Colombia has been at war for more
than 45 yrs and has riches beyond description. The senseless killings of Elders and destruction of the Sierra is a sad
state of affairs.

In May 1995 I moved to Brazil to work for Ford Motor Company to promote an internal communications campaign called
Ford 2000 in Latin America. Then I spent 1 year at the World Headquarters in Detroit working in the International
Public Affairs covering Asia, India and Latin America. Life was good but deep down I had a need to understand my roots.
In April of 1997, I went to Colombia on a business trip and met some people who had just returned from the Sierra Nevada
where the Kogi live. I was having major synchronicities about the Kogi and my heart kept feeling I needed to find a way
to communicate with them.

In June of 1997 a lifelong dream came true for me. I had taken a leave of absence from my job at Ford or in other
words…quit…and decided to go to a special event called the 2nd International Gathering of Priest and Elders of the
Americas” in the Amazon region of Colombia. “Mayan Elder Don Alejandro was the key Elder for this event that started
in Guatemala in 1996. I knew I had to be there. When I arrived I started helping with the logistics of the conference.
We were expecting about 300 elders and bridge people from more than 13 countries and being back in Colombia was a blessing.
That event changed my life and I made a promise to my Kogi brothers that one day I would return and help them out.
I have been back to the sacred mountain countless times and each time the situation gets more intense.

A few weeks ago I had a chance to go to the Sierra and feel the energy of the Sacred Mountain. Deep profound insight
came to me in dreams and can feel the Prophecy in Motion.
From the inception of our film we have had a Humanitarian aspect. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the natives
living there are suffering and not many people understand the importance of the spiritual work the Mamos are doing.

The Humanitarian Campaign will have 3 key objectives:
* Raise awareness of the critical situation the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is in and the humanitarian crisis of the 4
main Tribes.
* Bring medical supplies, food and smiles to Children and Hospitals in Santa Marta and Bogota. Partnership with Airline
Ambassadors www.airlineamb.org

* Create Media Campaigns and Events that raise funds for Organizations that are working to Protect the Sierra and
creating a better world for our Children. Music & Films 4 Peace-
Alliances with Tambora Foundation www.tamborafoundation.org ,
Sustainable Earth Foundation www.sustainableearthfound.org
The Kogi and all the tribes in the Sierra are asking for help and the time has come to hear the call.

A little history …..

More than 500 years ago the Kogi fled high into a sacred mountain in Northern Colombia called the Sierra Nevada de
Santa Marta, the Spanish had arrived and the message was not good. The Elders believe the Sierra Nevada to be the “Mother”
and the “Heart of the World.” The Sierra Nevada, in the shape of a pyramid is where the Andes chain begins or ends,
depending on your perspective. If you look at the Andes, the Sierra is the crown chakra or top most part of South America.
It is like a spinal column and the sacred mountain is the 3 eye. The Kogi are unique among the world’s Indigenous cultures
because they were never conquered by the Spaniards. They are said to have memory of the beginning of time and remember the
rampage the conquistadors brought to their region in 1498.


In 1988 the Kogi allowed a BBC journalist Alain Ereira to film a documentary about their culture. This was a historic event.

Many years have come and gone and the situation in the Sierra has gotten worse. Ecological destruction, mega dam
projects, cocaine wars and Monsanto and you can imagine how these sacred people feel.

In June of 1997 after the Indigenous conference I was invited to visit the Kogi via Guatapuri on the Western side of the
Sierra. This created a bond of friendship and trust. For more than 13 years I have been learning the complexities of the
Sierra and the differences in between the various tribes and NGOs. Yes it is a bit more complicated that you can imagine
and that will be another article.
Prophecy, Last Message www.propehcylastmessage.com has been a labor of love. I have never done a film before and it has
been a journey. Our film is not about any one Tribe but more about the Rainbow Bridge People, you and me… who unite these
2 Sacred Birds, the Condor and the Eagle to fulfill a Prophecy written in Stone many moons ago.

We are the “Younger Brother” who are destroying the Earth and causing an ecological imbalance. Now it is our turn to affect
future generations with a story whose time has come.
A Unique Film that will give you an Experience.

So who are these Kogi anyway? What is so special about them? Why would I spend so much time trying to do a crazy film about
them?

The Kogi are the direct descendants of the Tayrona civilization. The Tayrona culture flourished in Northern Colombia around
1,000 AD. They left behind stunning gold artwork, stone and pottery artifacts and an amazing network of brick roads
covering the Sierra Nevada, not to mention a few lost cities. Kogi society has changed little in the past five centuries.
They survived as a culture because the Kogi focus all their energy on the life of the Aluna, Thought and Potential, a mind
as opposed to the life of a body or an individual. Fundamental to that survival is the maintenance of physical
separation from their world and our own. They are very protective of their sacred space and the dense jungle is not
kind to tourists.

Where do they live?
The Kogi live in the higher regions of the Sierra Nevada. Many self-sustaining communities are on the Western part of the
Mountain accessible through Valledupar, which is located in the State of Cesar. The Sierra Nevada is the highest
coastal mountain in the world only 26 miles from the beach. It is located near the Equator, which means it has no
seasons. Day and night are of equal length all year round. It has every eco-system in its 17,000 km2 area.
The highest peak is the Pico Simon Bolivar at 5,775 mtrs. So in this mountain area all the eco-systems of earth
are present creating a mini earth. From the sea the mountain goes straight to snow capped peaks.

Why are they unique?
The Kogi represent the most complete surviving civilization of pre-Columbian America. They are not hunter-gatherers
or a wondering tribe. They are a nation whose fields have been continuously cultivated for more than a thousand years.
The Kogi believe they are the “Elder Brothers,” the Guardians of life on Earth. Through their mind power and meditation
they keep the world in balance. They live in “Aluna,” an inner world of thought and potential. They are now concerned
because their Mountain is dying.


Everything about their history and religion is passed down through oral instructions and their lives are run by the
spiritual leaders or Shamans named “Mamas.” The Kogi Mamas are chosen from birth and spend the first nine years of
childhood in a cave in total darkness learning the ancient secrets of the spiritual world or Aluna. They are the priests
and judges who control Kogi society. All major decisions and shamanic work is done by Divination. All is the world of
Aluna, so the Mamas see a reflection of the physical world first in the spiritual world. If Aluna is the Mother, then the
Kogi listen to the Mother by divining. This lost technique of divination is what keeps the Kogi world in balance and order.
The Mamas are worried that the “Younger Brother” has not heeded the first warning. If the Sierra Nevada or the Mother dies,
the world will also die.

Of unique importance is that the Kogi are a peaceful tribe that have never killed one of their own and rarely intermarry.
They never grow gray hair and have no facial hair. They can spend 9 days awake without sleep during their ceremonial rites.
They are now beginning to learn Spanish because they realize the importance of communicating with the outside world.
They also need to understand the Colombian Government’s laws regarding the Sierra Nevada, which was named a Historical
Heritage by UNESCO and a National Park by the Colombian Government.

So as you can see and read we are on a mission. I have learned many lessons along the way of producing this film and
humanitarian campaign. But he most important is not to give up…Believe me this thought has crossed my mind several times
and all it takes is a trip to this sacred land and you will understand.

When I was there a few weeks ago, I could feel the power of pure clean rivers, a roaring of thunder and rain like never
before. But it is the water that is what this region is all about. Water is the Gold of the Future and Present, a gift
of our Mother and we wonder if we are really protecting it. Without this precious resource, few of us would be alive.

So I invite you to be part of our journey, to get an insider´s view of a unique Experience Film, to help preserve a
culture and sacred space that will be Light for the Future. A Prophecy in Motion!

The Kogi have a lot to teach us. Are we ready to listen?

See a old short we did..not 4 sale...but learning how to produce...