The Kogi Indians live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. In the picture, the elongated building on the right is the men’s house, where the men live whilst they are in the village. The round houses, which are also thatched, serve as accommodation for the women and children. The Kogi meet only at certain times, about twice a month, for ceremonial celebrations in the villages; the rest of the time they spend – living separately by gender in two huts – in their fields, where they grow maize, cassava, bananas, pumpkins, sugar cane and beans. Whatever they cannot produce themselves, they exchange for chickens, pigs and other produce. - Book: Picture 15 - Colombia - 1977

A boy from the Kogi indigenous people, who live largely in isolation and preserve their centuries-old traditions. Traditionally, the Kogi make their own clothes on looms using natural fibres or cotton, as can be seen in this portrait. – Colombia – 1977

The entire life of the Kogi is governed by fertility rites and the strict separation of the male and female principles. This picture shows a Kogi man with the poporo, a gourd filled with powdered shell. The gourd is regarded as female, and the stick used to ‘fish out’ the lime powder is regarded as male. Over the years, the Kogi symbolically perform the act of fertilisation by using the stick to remove powder from the gourd and rubbing it onto the bowl, which, over time, develops a thick layer of lime. Gold figurines featuring similar calabash gourds, the lime from which was chewed together with coca leaves, have been preserved from the Quimbaya culture of the central Cauca Valley (11th–15th centuries). - Book: Picture 16 - Colombia - 1977

The traditional clothing of the Kogi is characterised by distinctive features. The woven tunic is made from hand-woven, natural fabric. Whilst adult Kogi traditionally wear entirely pure white clothing as a symbol of the purity of nature and the ‘Great Mother’, children’s garments often still feature coloured stripes (such as the earthy shades of red, yellow and black shown in the picture). A wide, robustly woven strap from a traditional shoulder bag (mochila) runs across the shoulder. – Colombia – 1997

A young Kogi mother wearing her jewellery. The Kogi are an indigenous community who live a secluded life in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. The heavy, multi-layered necklaces made of colourful glass and natural beads, as well as the simple, white clothing made from hand-woven cotton, are deeply characteristic of their culture. - Book: Image 17 – Colombia – 1977

A boy from the Kogi tribe. The Kogi regard themselves as the ‘elder brothers’ of humanity. They see it as their sacred duty to preserve the ecological and spiritual balance of the Earth. They refer to the rest of modern humanity as the ‘younger brothers’ who are destroying the planet. - Book: Image 18 – Colombia – 1977

A Sunday outing by lorry in the Colombian province of Huila. In the Andes, lorries largely replace buses. - Book: Picture 40 - Colombia - 1977

Another view of the 5,790-metre-high Cayambe volcano from the surrounding agricultural highlands of Pichincha Province, where the indigenous people (the Kayambi) have traditionally practised agriculture and livestock farming. – Ecuador – 1972

The Chota Valley is a region steeped in tradition in the north of Ecuador. The region is best known for its Afro-Ecuadorian community, which has preserved a culture that is unique within Ecuador. The population is descended from enslaved Africans, who were brought to the region by Jesuits in the 17th century. The ‘Bomba del Chota’ is the region’s best-known style of music and dance. It is characterised by the bomba drums. Traditionally, women dance to this rhythm with great skill whilst balancing a bottle perfectly on their heads. – 1972

An indigenous Kichwa woman from the Salasaka community in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador. The distinctive light-coloured hat (muchiku) with a round brim is traditionally made from sheep’s wool. The elaborate, multi-strand necklaces (walkas) are traditionally made from fine beads and coral. They symbolise ethnic identity, cultural heritage, and the prestige and strength of indigenous women in the Andes. The woman is wearing a dark shawl (Chal or Fachalina), which is typically fastened at the front with a large, decorative silver pin or brooch (Tupu). – 1977

A girl from the Salasaka community (Tungurahua Province, Ecuador). The white hat is traditionally made from pressed sheep’s wool. It is a key symbol of identity during festivals. The hand-woven woollen shawl (Lishta) is often patterned with fine stripes. It is crossed over the chest and fastened with a silver brooch (tupu). Wearing walkas (multi-strand necklaces made of red coral or beads) is a typical form of jewellery for women and girls. – 1977

A young girl from the indigenous Kichwa community in the Otavalo region of the Ecuadorian highlands, dressed in traditional attire consisting of a blue poncho, a headdress and multiple layers of gold bead necklaces. – 1977

One of the most famous indigenous markets in the Andes takes place every Saturday in Otavalo (Imbabura Province, Ecuador). The Otavaleños enjoy an excellent reputation as trading partners and merchants; they can be found everywhere on the roads of the Andes, carrying their wares on their backs. Their market has become a major tourist attraction, featuring cockfights in the afternoon and bullfights in June. Alongside their own products, they sell the Salasacas’ cloths and rugs here. - Book: Picture 27 - Ecuador - 1977

A scene from the Sunday market in Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 30 - Ecuador - 1977

A Salasaca man in traditional dress – a black poncho, white trousers and a white shirt – at the loom. The barren soil of the central Ecuadorian province of Tungurahua, around the town of Ambato, has forced the Salasacas, a tribe of around two thousand indigenous people, to pursue a second source of income alongside farming. Their rugs, featuring bird and animal motifs, are famous far and wide. The Otavaleños usually handle the distribution of the textiles. - Book: Picture 26 - Ecuador - 1977

Sunday market in Cajabamba, west of Riobamba. Two hundred varieties of potato, ranging from small white tubers to huge red sweet potatoes, a dozen varieties of maize, quinoa (‘Peruvian rice’), pulses, as well as animal feed and, occasionally, modern fertilisers and colourings are on offer at these markets. - Book: Picture 31 - Ecuador - 1976

A Salasaca indigenous man weaving a wide belt, known as a ‘faja’. Traditional patterns include birds, deer, cats and other stylised animals. - Book: Picture 139 - Ecuador - 1976

A scene from the Sunday market in Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. - Book: Picture 29 - Ecuador - 1977

An indigenous woman from Riobamba in her traditional dress, carrying her child on her back in a sling. The brown felt hat is typical of the indigenous population (mostly Kichwa) of Chimborazo Province around Riobamba; it is a distinctive symbol of indigenous identity and belonging in this region. The child is carried safely on her back in a traditionally woven sling. The poncho provides reliable protection against the cold in the cool high altitudes of the Andes. – 1977

A Salasaca girl from the town of Ambato, Tungurahua province - Ecuador - 1976

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the flower offerings: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the flower offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create arrangements in the shape of branches. - Book: Picture 39 - Ecuador - 1976

Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas Midnight Mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers into specific circular shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 36 - Ecuador - 1976

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. A particularly beautiful custom of the Saraguros is the offering of flowers: every year, during the Christmas midnight mass, the ‘muñidoras’ are chosen. These women are then responsible for the floral offerings throughout the year. Using garden flowers, they create small arrangements in which tiny figurines, crosses and stars are hidden, and place these in the various churches every Sunday morning. Unmarried women arrange the flowers in specific round shapes; only elderly women or widows are permitted to create branch-shaped arrangements. - Book: Picture 38 - Ecuador - 1976

An indigenous woman from the Saraguro culture in the province of Loja, Ecuador, recognisable by her traditional clothing and distinctive white felt hat. The woman is wearing striking silver earrings and traditional beaded necklaces. A silver brooch (‘Topo’, a traditional garment pin) holds her dark cloak in place over a red blouse. – Ecuador – 1977

The Saraguro in the province of Loja, Ecuador. The topos – the pins used by Saraguro women to fasten their ponchos – are unique to this tribe in that they feature a sun-shaped head. In Peru, they are spoon-shaped. - Book: Picture 37 - Ecuador - 1977

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