Mulkupkungui

Mulkupkungui is a small Kogi settlement situated in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta within the Magdalena department of Colombia, which I had the opportunity to visit in 2018. My guide, Adrian Fonseca, collected me from my hotel in Santa Marta, and we boarded a bus heading towards Palomino, where we began our journey. Two Venezuelan refugees, who served as our motorcycle drivers, were waiting for us. The initial segment of our trip involved navigating narrow rocky paths up the mountains with them. Subsequently, we commenced our trek on foot to our first destination, a farmer's house located in Vereda La Tablada, where we spent our first night. The farm was quite basic, a stark contrast to what Europeans are accustomed to. I slept beneath a simple tin roof adjacent to the kitchen, which was nearly open to the sky. The following day, we resumed our hike towards our final destination, Mulkupkungui.

The Kogi people are the descendants of the Tairona civilization, which thrived prior to the Spanish conquest. The Tairona were a sophisticated society known for constructing numerous stone edifices and pathways throughout the jungles. They crafted various gold artifacts, which they adorned on trees and wore around their necks. Their lifestyle closely resembles that of the contemporary Kogi. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Tairona were compelled to retreat to the highlands due to an invasion by the Caribs around 1000 CE. This new location proved to be strategically advantageous when the Spanish arrived in the 15th century. Subsequently, missionaries began to exert influence over their culture, establishing chapels and churches within their villages to educate and convert the indigenous population. Over the years, the Kogi have continued to inhabit their mountainous homeland, which has helped them mitigate the adverse impacts of colonization and maintain their traditional way of life.

Photos: Fuji X-T2 & 10-24 / 18-55 / 100-400