"Looking to the Past to Create the Future"

Sankofa is an Akan symbol meaning, "Go back and retrieve." The word is derived from the words SAN (return), KO (go), FA (look, seek and take).

This symbolizes the quest for knowledge among the Akan with the implication that the quest is based on critical examination, and intelligent and patient investigation.

The symbol is based on a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward with its head turned backwards. Thus the Akan belief that the past serves as a guide for planning the future. To the Akan it is this wisdom in learning from the past which ensures a strong future.

The Akans believe that there must be movement and new learning as time passes, but as this forward march proceeds the knowledge of the past must never be forgotten. As the Akan say, "se wo were fi na wosan kofa a, yenkyi": There is nothing wrong with learning from hindsight.

Other Interpretations

It is not a taboo to go back and retreive what you forgot.

You must retrieve the knowledge of the past to prepare for the future.


Akan Symbology

The Akan are a West African ethnic group that today reside in Ghana and La Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Through time the Akan have incorporated an ideographic and pictographic writing system into their philosophy known as Adinkara symbology. These ideas are expressed in such media as textiles, metal casting, woodcarving, and architecture.