Categories: Hazel Rosetta Smith,
There is often a conflict in conversation when someone is advised to go back and get something. Going back can be associated with a negative or dangerous action. Mostly because we cannot control the situation or change what has taken place.
Adinkra symbols from the Akan people of Ghana represent life concepts. The symbols are of concepts, proverbs, and sayings. The themes found in Adinkra symbols come from proverbs, folktales, and expressions associated with the Akan and Bono peoples of Ghana.
The intricate list of symbols mentions themes ranging from love, bravery, and faith in God to democracy, protection, and wealth. They take inspiration from mythical characters, everyday objects, and elements of the natural world.
Sankofa within the Adinkra Symbol System each represents a specific concept. Some focus on humility and strength. Others on leadership, faith, supremacy of God or unity in diversity.
Sankofa is a word in the Akan language of Ghana that is purpose driven to mean “to retrieve” or literally “go back and get.” San meaning to return, ko meaning to go and fa meaning to fetch, to seek and take)
Sankofa is about: Learning from past mistakes, recovering forgotten knowledge, honoring ancestors and memory, and using history as guidance. These symbols remind people to pause, reflect, and learn before moving forward.
Among the numerous Sankofa symbols is the Sankofa bird that appears frequently in traditional Akan art, and has also been adopted as an important symbol in an African American and African Diaspora context to represent the need to reflect on the past to build a successful future. It is one of the most widely dispersed adinkra symbols.
The bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward carrying an egg in its mouth is associated with the proverb translated as “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.”
It symbolizes taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present to make positive progress through the use of knowledge. Knowledge is power is taken as the foundation of how generations can sustain survivorship.
The Sankofa bird appears on carved wooden Akan stools, on some ruler’s state umbrella or parasols to foster mutual respect and unity in tradition. This image has been adopted by numerous afro-centric organizations in North America.
It teaches that you can’t build a strong future if you ignore the past. Sometimes you need to return, recover what was lost, and carry that wisdom forward.
This is why the symbol of the Sankofa bird still feels relevant today. Everyone reaches a moment wherein looking back becomes necessary to grow. To protect the future, you must understand the past.
When families engage in annual family reunions, it is a form of using the Sankofa symbol of reaching back. Conversations with elders in our families is the way to keep the path open for wisdom to flow from generation to generation.
[Hazel Rosetta Smith is a journalist, playwright, and artistic director for Help Somebody Theatrical Ministries. Retired, former Managing Editor and Woman’s Editor of the New York Beacon. Contact: misshazel@twc.com and online hazelrosettasmith.com]
