[citation needed] The Kogi people are descendants of the Tairona culture, which flourished before the times of the Spanish conquest.

Before the Spanish conquistadors arrived, the Tairona were forced to move into the highlands when the Caribs invaded around 1000 CE.

[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.

[4] The Kogi base their lifestyles on their belief in "Aluna" or "The Great Mother," their creator figure, who they believe is the force behind nature.

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.

From birth the Kogi attune members of their society called mamos ("sun"), for guidance, healing, and leadership.

Through deep concentration, symbolic offerings, and divination, the mamos believe they support the balance of harmony and creativity in the world.

In order to preserve their traditional way of life, they rarely interact with the modern world or with outside civilization.

[8] Mamos say that the balance of the earth's ecology has been suffering due to modern-day devastation of resources by Younger Brother.

To prevent further ecological catastrophe and destruction, the mamos broke their silence and allowed a small BBC film crew into their isolated mountaintop civilization to hear their message and warning to Younger Brother.

The Kogi soon realized that their warning had not been heeded by Younger Brother, and instead, as they had predicted, many catastrophes occurred and the natural world continued to be devastated even more rapidly.

[10] Traditional Kogi religion is closely related to the structure of the cosmos that exists in dualistic expressions.

This cosmic structure has influenced four entrances to each village, four principal clans, and has divided the Sierra Nevada into four sections.

In the center of the circle, he places a tiny stool upon the spot where he receives and answers questions of the cosmic universe.

A poporo is a small, hollow gourd filled with lima ("lime"), a powder of heated and crushed shells.

The men also continuously chew coca leaves, a tradition followed by many indigenous tribes to connect them to the natural world.

The Kogi live in a series of villages, called Kuibolos,[14] containing circular huts made of stone, mud, and palm leaves.

Fields, houses, and livestock are passed from mother to daughter and from father to son, which is bilateral inheritance of these items.

There is also the normal parallel descent of personal items, including ritual objects which are male property and descend patrilineally.