Hermano Mayor
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, located in northern Colombia between Panama and Venezuela, is (with its 5.700m ca.) the world’s highest coastal massif and the birthplace of one of the most advanced pre-Columbian civilizations, the Tyrona.
The Tyrona people were forced to seek refuge high in the mountains to escape persecution by the Spanish colonizing army. As a result, they split into four populations: Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Kogui, and Wiwa. Believed to have disappeared due to the scarcity of resources and inhospitable conditions of the territory (reaching more than 5000m), these groups remained isolated from the rest of the world for more than 300 years.
The Tyrona descendants survived thanks to the use of the cornerstone of their culture, the sacred plant the Ajo (coca), which served as a food source, the basis for their spiritual practices, and a source of knowledge. Due to their protracted isolation, the Sierra Nevada inhabitants were able to keep nearly intact their archaic way of life, based on a semi-nomadic system, as well as their spiritual practices and ancestral cosmogony.
Nature is sacred in their eyes, and the Earth is our holy mother, feeding and nourishing us; therefore, we must learn to control our mind and thoughts, to respect and protect it. Spirituality requires action, which is why they make spiritual payments on a regular basis, meditating and presenting their thoughts and gratitude, as well as spiritual food, to the "Madre Tierra" and their ancestors. The payments, along with other rites, are intended to maintain the balance between what we take and what we give to the Mother.
As guardians of the knowledge of the "Ley de Origen", inherited from their ancestors, they call themselves the Hermano Mayor (older brother). In their eye, this law governs all aspects of life, from birth to death, as well as its relationship to the outside world, helping to maintain an existence in harmony with nature.
Having the opportunity to speak and spend time with them, I could get an introduction to their culture and perceive the depth of their knowledge of the human spirit and its relationships with society and the environment, feeling like a younger brother who still has much to learn and how precious are this cultures.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, located in northern Colombia between Panama and Venezuela, is (with its 5.700m ca.) the world’s highest coastal massif and the birthplace of one of the most advanced pre-Columbian civilizations, the Tyrona.
