The Soul of the Sierra Nevada Awaits You

Daily customs are imbued with their spiritual worldview:

Daily life in the Sierra Nevada communities revolves around community and collective work. Important decisions are made in community assemblies where everyone has a voice and vote.

Use of the Poporo and Coca (Ayú): For men, chewing coca (coca leaves crushed with calcined sea shells) using a poporo (gourd) is fundamental. It is not a recreational habit; it is a ritual act of thought and knowledge. The constant movement of the poporo stick to scrape the lime symbolizes the cycle of life and the construction of thought.

Traditional Clothing: Their clothing is not a costume; it is a symbol of identity and culture.

• Arhuacos: They wear white cotton robes (with a bag over the shoulder) and a white conical cap (tumu), representing the perpetual snows of the Sierra peaks.

• Kogui: They wear a long white robe (sagua), carry a bag, and usually go barefoot.

• Wiwa: Men and women wear truzus and white or blue blankets.

Weaving Bags: Women weave bags (neku or zizumu) from natural cotton. Each geometric pattern has a spiritual meaning and tells a story of their cosmogony. It is an act of creation and wisdom.

Traditions are the practical expressions of their Law of Origin.

The Law of Origin: It is not a written law, but a set of spiritual principles and norms given by the creator parents (Serankua for the Kogui) to regulate life, society, and nature. Their entire traditional system of justice, government, and rituals is based on this law.

The Mamos (Mámas) or Spiritual Sages: They are the guardians of knowledge and the Law of Origin. They are not "shamans" but priest-philosophers who are trained from childhood to guide the community, perform payments, diagnose imbalances, and heal through thought and contact with the spiritual world. They are the highest authority.

Traditional Dance and Music: They use instruments such as the reed flute (kuizi), the gaita, and maracas in rituals and celebrations. The dances are usually circular, representing the circularity of time and life.

The Word and the Assembly (Kankurwa): Decision-making is done in community assembly within the Kankurwa (ceremonial hut). There, problems are discussed, the Mamos are consulted, and consensus is sought through reflective speech.

Their spiritual vision is holistic and deeply ecological.

The Heart of the World: For them, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the heart of the world, a microcosm that represents the entire planet. It is a sacred territory on which the physical and spiritual balance of all humanity depends. They are the "Elder Brothers," tasked with caring for it, while the rest of humanity are the "Younger Brothers" who, having moved away from traditional knowledge, are making the planet sick.

Serankua: Is the creative principle, the universal father who gave origin to everything (living beings, stones, rivers, laws). He is not an anthropomorphic god who judges, but a creative force present in everything.

Balance and Thought: The fundamental purpose of existence is to maintain balance. Diseases, droughts, and social problems are symptoms that the world is out of balance. The tool to restore it is thought (manifested through rituals, payments, and the guidance of the Mamos).

Sacred Sites: The entire geography of the Sierra is full of sacred sites (Black Lines and White Lines), which are a network of spiritual energy. Sites such as the snow-capped peaks, lagoons, and certain stones are considered altars where payment must be made.

In essence, their religion is an eco-theology: a deeply spiritual belief where the act of protecting nature is a divine mandate, and the well-being of humanity depends on the health of the sacred territory.