Sierra Nevada De Santa Marta

The heart of the world

Welcome to Colombia. I’m the Sierra.
The Indigenous People call me the Heart of the World.
Scientists refer to me as one of the most irreplaceable places on Earth.
See, I am a place like no other.
I am the steepest coastal ascent from tropical reefs through sandy beaches to snow-capped mountains.
In a single hectare, I house 650 tree species.
Think of me as a microcosm of life.

I’ve been under the protection and stewardship of Indigenous communities for longer than anyone can remember. They’ve really helped me blossom.
Sounds dreamy.
But over the past 50 years, a quarter of ancestral lands have been lost to illegal squatters and extractive industries leaving me heartbroken.
The threat to all life in the forest has never been greater.
Indigenous folk still remember. Our lives are inseparable.
Together, they protect the bird people, cat people, fish, insect, bacteria and plant people that stitch together life.
Forest + Indigenous = Life
Introducing the Arhuacos
Natural born protectors
We fought against massive deforestation.
We warned about the negative impacts of mining.
We resisted and survived the different waves of colonisation (legal and illegal).
“Our bond with the Sierra and the Forest runs deep”
For us Arhuaco, it’s more than just our home. Our worldview embodies a central idea: the Sierra Nevada is sacred ground, the heart of the world.

Protecting her is woven into our lives and the very fabric of our culture. Even our attire resembles the Sierra: white hats like snow caps and long flowing river-like hair.
For us, this land is a living person complete with feet, hair, veins, and organs.
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Thoughts are locked in her snow and ice. Meltwater from the glaciers is lifeblood. Not only ours, but for tens of millions of Colombians in the plains who depend on it too.
Sacred Stories
Zizi and the Tree People
(or How to cut a Tree)
Our culture is the worship of nature. It is born from our system of thought and honors La Sierra, the Heart of the World. We recognise our lives depend on all life, staying alive. This is the first in a series of Arhuaco stories delivered here by Mamo Gabriel in Busingueka.
Now we ask your support to do what we have always done, protect and care for the forests that should be sacred to all of us.
Join us