▁ ▁Language ▁The ▁K og i ▁language ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁Ch ib chan ▁family . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁K og i ▁are ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁T air ona ▁culture , ▁which ▁fl our ished ▁before ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁con quest . ▁The ▁T air ona ▁were ▁an ▁advanced ▁civil ization ▁which ▁built ▁many ▁stone ▁structures ▁and ▁path ways ▁in ▁the ▁j ung les . ▁They ▁made ▁many ▁gold ▁objects ▁which ▁they ▁would ▁hang ▁from ▁trees ▁and ▁around ▁their ▁ne cks . ▁They ▁lived ▁not ▁much ▁differently ▁from ▁modern ▁day ▁K og i . ▁Before ▁the ▁Spanish ▁conquist adors ▁arrived , ▁the ▁T air ona ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁move ▁into ▁the ▁high lands ▁when ▁the ▁Car ib s ▁inv aded ▁around ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁CE . ▁The ▁decision ▁to ▁fle e ▁to ▁the ▁mountains ▁proved ▁benef icial ▁and ▁strateg ic ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁Spanish ▁entered ▁modern - day ▁Colombia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁▁ ▁Later , ▁mission aries ▁came ▁and ▁also ▁began ▁to ▁influence ▁their ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁building ▁chap els ▁and ▁churches ▁amid st ▁their ▁villages ▁to ▁train ▁and ▁convert ▁the ▁loc als . ▁In ▁the ▁years ▁since , ▁the ▁K og i ▁have ▁remained ▁in ▁their ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁mountains , ▁which ▁allows ▁them ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁worst ▁effects ▁of ▁colon ization ▁and ▁a ids ▁them ▁in ▁pres erving ▁their ▁traditional ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁ ▁Spirit ual ▁belief s ▁ ▁The ▁K og i ▁base ▁their ▁l ifest yles ▁on