A bird moves forward, feet planted firmly ahead, yet its head turns back to retrieve a precious egg. This is not hesitation. This is not retreat. This is Sankofa—an Adinkra symbol teaching us that the path forward often requires a deliberate glance backward.
The name translates simply: "Go back and get it." But the wisdom contained within those words reshapes how we understand progress itself. What if moving ahead doesn't mean abandoning what came before? What if the most important step forward begins with retrieving what we've left behind?
Sankofa: Go Back and Get It is an exploration of wisdom through retrieval. It's a reminder that the past holds knowledge, lessons, and cultural inheritance worth carrying into the future.
The Wisdom of the Bird and Heart
Sankofa appears in two primary forms, each offering a different expression of the same truth:
- The Bird: Depicted with feet facing forward and head turned back, retrieving an egg. The egg represents knowledge and ancestral wisdom. This is active retrieval—deliberate, physical, and engaged.
- The Heart: A stylized, symmetrical heart shape. This form emphasizes that remembering and progressing are not separate actions, but integrated movements of the same spirit. What we carry forward is held close and made part of who we are.
Sankofa comes from the Akan proverb: "Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri"—It is not taboo to go back for what you forgot.
The Dual Practice
Sankofa carries instruction for how we engage with both memory and movement:
- Look back with discernment: Not everything from the past deserves to be carried forward. Sankofa invites us to ask what strengthens us and what serves us. Returning to gather what was forgotten carries no shame; it demonstrates wisdom.
- Move forward with intention: Retrieving the past is preparation, not the destination. Once we've gathered what holds value, we carry it forward deliberately. We don't remain fixed in nostalgia; we use what we've learned to inform where we're going. The bird's feet point ahead for a reason.
Learning Through Reflection
At Deka, we believe reflection is essential to meaningful growth. Sankofa embodies this value—it insists that wisdom lies in the willingness to pause, look back, and learn.
Reflection allows us to:
- Recognize patterns in our own experiences
- Honor the knowledge of those who came before us
- Distinguish between what should be preserved and what should be released
- Carry cultural wisdom forward with understanding, not just imitation
- Learn from mistakes without being defined by them
Sankofa teaches that reflection is not dwelling—it is gathering. We look back not to stay there, but to retrieve what will strengthen our next steps.
The Lesson for Today
Sankofa offers grounded wisdom: understanding where you came from provides essential knowledge for where you are going.
When you wear or display Sankofa, you're making a statement about how you navigate time. You're acknowledging that the past holds lessons worth retrieving, that forward movement benefits from backward glances, and that wisdom requires both memory and vision.
The symbol neither glorifies the past nor dismisses it. Instead, it insists on discernment—recognizing what remains valuable and carrying it forward with intention.
Closing Thought
As you move through your week, consider what you might need to "go back and get." Is there wisdom from your own past experiences you've overlooked? Knowledge from your community that could guide your present?
Sankofa reminds us that retrieving what we've forgotten is not regression—it is preparation. We move forward precisely because we have gathered what we need from behind.
What do you need to go back and retrieve?
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