We met the Kogi

“Are there still fish in this river?” The Kogi asked when crossing the Spree. Not really knowing the answer almost brought tears to our eyes.

On September 13th, we welcomed the Kogi elders in conversation with Nadine, Tom and Lucas Buchholz as they toured through Europe. 250 people gathered in the courtyard to hear the ancient wisdom of the Kogi, one of the last remaining Indigeous peoples living on the uppermost reaches of the Sierra Nevada in Colombia. For nearly 4000 years, from their home at what they call the ‘Heart of the World’, the Kogi people have witnessed tidal changes, brought on by humanity’s thirst for resources we simply cannot sustain. They spoke of guidance, of healing and of leadership. To us, their message was clear: we as humans must stop the damage we are doing to the earth and start the necessary process of healing ‘The Great Mother’. It was a rare privilege to have the Kogi here with us and we wish to thank our friend Lucas Buchholz and Lebendige Zukunft e.V. for the collaboration.

Walking through town with the Kogi just before they continued their journey, was a simple and profound experience. From one moment to the next, we saw with their eyes. What we saw suddenly felt very strange.