Sankofa

What is the Sankofa?

Sankofa is one of the most widely known and philosophically rich symbols in the Akan Adinkra tradition of Ghana and Ivory Coast. The word "sankofa" comes from the Twi language — "san" meaning "to return," "ko" meaning "to go," and "fa" meaning "to take" — and the symbol's core teaching is expressed in the phrase "Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi" ("It is not taboo to go back and retrieve what you have forgotten").

Sankofa appears in two main visual forms. The more common depicts a bird with its head turned backward, often holding an egg in its beak, representing the wisdom of reaching back into the past to retrieve what is valuable. The other form is a heart-like geometric symbol (sometimes called the sankofa adinkra) that stylizes the bird form into a more abstract emblem suitable for stamping on cloth, jewelry, and decorations.

The teaching of Sankofa is remarkably sophisticated. It does not glorify the past as better than the present, nor does it reject the past as something to escape. Instead, it teaches a dynamic relationship with time: we move forward into the future, but we do so wisely only by reaching back into the past to retrieve the lessons, wisdom, and identity that are valuable there. The bird moves forward (its body faces forward) while simultaneously reaching backward (its head turns back). This posture — body forward, head backward — is the practical stance of wise living.

For people of the African diaspora (particularly African Americans whose ancestors were enslaved), Sankofa has taken on profound additional significance. It represents the project of reclaiming African heritage, identity, and cultural knowledge that was severed by the transatlantic slave trade. The sankofa principle says: it is not wrong, not taboo, not backward-looking nostalgia to go back and recover what was lost. It is essential work. Heritage reconnection, cultural reclamation, and genealogical research are all sankofa work.

For broader practitioners, Sankofa offers a teaching relevant to all humans: we cannot move forward wisely without learning from where we came. This applies to personal history (childhood, past relationships, earlier stages of our own development), to cultural history (the traditions and mistakes of our ancestors), to institutional and national history (the histories of the communities and nations we belong to), and to the evolutionary history of our species and our planet.

For Omkar's readers, a Sankofa charm — ideally acquired from Ghanaian or African artisans or from authentic African diaspora sources — serves as a reminder of the principle that wise movement forward requires continuous learning from the past. It is appropriate for genealogical seekers, historians, educators, healers working with intergenerational trauma, and anyone engaged in integrating past learning with present and future action.

History & Origins

Sankofa emerged within the Akan civilization of West Africa, specifically among the Asante (Ashanti), Fante, Bono, Akuapem, and related Akan peoples of what is now Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Akan civilization has produced sophisticated political, philosophical, and artistic traditions for many centuries.

The Adinkra symbols — the larger family to which Sankofa belongs — were developed in the Gyaman kingdom (in what is now Ivory Coast and parts of Ghana) and associated areas by at least the 18th century and likely earlier. According to one tradition, a king named Nana Kwadwo Adinkra was captured by the Asante in battle, and during his captivity, he continued wearing patterned cloth that the Asante subsequently adopted and elaborated into the full Adinkra symbol system. Whether this specific origin story is historically accurate, the Adinkra symbols were well-established by the 19th century and have continued developing since.

Adinkra symbols are traditionally stamped on cloth — particularly on ceremonial and funeral cloth — using stamps carved from calabash gourds dipped in a special dye made from the bark of the badie tree. The cloth, called adinkra cloth, was historically used for funerary purposes specifically (the word "adinkra" means "farewell" or "goodbye" in the sense of parting with the deceased), though contemporary use has expanded to include celebratory and everyday contexts.

The symbol system includes hundreds of distinct Adinkra symbols, each with specific philosophical meaning. Sankofa is one of the most famous, alongside Gye Nyame (Supremacy of God), Dwennimmen (Strength with Humility), Adinkrahene (Greatness and Leadership), and many others. Each symbol is a concentrated philosophical teaching rendered in visual form.

Sankofa specifically emerged as a symbol for reaching back to retrieve what is valuable. Its specific bird form reflects the Akan observation of birds that do turn their heads backward while their bodies face forward — not a fantasy animal but a stylized representation of a genuine observable posture. The egg in the bird's beak (in some renderings) represents the valuable content being retrieved; the bird's willingness to turn backward despite its body facing forward represents the wisdom of intentional retrieval.

The transatlantic slave trade (16th-19th centuries) deported millions of West Africans, including many Akan people, to the Americas. The symbols, including Sankofa, traveled with them into the African diaspora — sometimes preserved in community memory, sometimes buried under the severing effects of slavery and forced cultural destruction.

The 20th century saw significant reclamation of African cultural heritage among African Americans and other diaspora communities. The Sankofa symbol became a particularly powerful emblem for this reclamation work because its core meaning — going back to retrieve what is valuable — directly addressed the project of heritage reconnection after the rupture of slavery. The symbol appears widely in African American cultural contexts, on jewelry, in tattoos, in academic institutions' names and logos (Sankofa centers at various universities), and in artistic work.

Ghanaian independence from British colonial rule (1957) created opportunities for broader cultural pride and international sharing of Adinkra symbols. The symbols became more widely known globally in the late 20th and 21st centuries, with Sankofa leading the way as one of the most philosophically accessible and powerful symbols.

Contemporary Ghanaian artisans continue producing Adinkra textiles, jewelry, and art both for Ghanaian domestic use and for international sale. Diaspora communities have produced their own Sankofa art, jewelry, and cultural expressions. The symbol's meaning remains remarkably stable across all these contexts — reaching back to retrieve what is valuable — while its applications have multiplied with each new context of use.

Symbolism

Sankofa's symbolism operates through its visual form and through the philosophical principle it encodes.

The backward-turned head of the bird is the most immediate visual teaching. A bird walking forward would normally face forward; a bird that turns its head backward is doing something specific — looking at what has passed, retrieving what has been left. This specific posture is the entire teaching in visual form.

The body facing forward while the head faces backward shows that the orientation to the past is not regression. The bird is not walking backward; it is walking forward while reaching back. This crucial distinction means Sankofa is not about returning to the past and staying there, nor about trying to recreate the past, but about bringing the past into the forward-moving present.

The egg often depicted in the bird's beak represents the valuable content being retrieved. The egg itself contains future life, which is significant — what is being brought back from the past is itself forward-looking content. The past was not only about the past; it contained seeds for the future that need to be carried forward.

The heart-like geometric version of the symbol stylizes the bird form into a more abstract emblem. The geometric form can be read as two hearts or two spirals curving toward each other, representing the unity of past and present, of reach-back and reach-forward. This version is particularly common in textile and jewelry contexts.

The principle of "going back to retrieve" operates on multiple levels. At the personal level, it represents the wisdom of learning from one's own earlier experiences, mistakes, and insights. At the family and lineage level, it represents the value of reconnecting with ancestors, grandparents, and family heritage. At the cultural level, it represents the value of engaging with tradition, history, and cultural lineage. At the species level, it represents the value of learning from human history. At the cosmological level, it represents the value of engaging with primordial wisdom and original principles.

The principle also teaches discernment. Sankofa does not advocate retrieving everything from the past — it advocates retrieving what is valuable. The past contains wisdom and also mistakes; Sankofa invites us to distinguish. What served the ancestors that still serves us? What was valuable then and remains valuable now? What needs to be retrieved, and what should be let go?

The practical application often involves specific methods. Listening to elders. Reading historical texts. Returning to childhood places or practices. Researching family history. Engaging with traditional cultural practices. Revisiting past relationships or earlier stages of one's own development. The method is as important as the principle — Sankofa is not passive remembering but active retrieval.

The teaching also carries a specific challenge to linear progress narratives that treat the past as purely something to be overcome. Sankofa suggests that some retrieval from the past is necessary for genuine forward movement. Progress that severs from the past risks losing essential wisdom, identity, and context.

How to Use

Sankofa charms function as continuous reminders of the principle of wise retrieval from the past.

Wear as a pendant to have the symbol continuously present. Each time you notice the charm or touch it, briefly reflect on what in your past, your family history, or your cultural heritage might inform your current situation.

Display in home or workspace to maintain the Sankofa principle in your daily environment. A Sankofa symbol in your study, home office, or meditation space invites ongoing engagement with the wisdom-retrieval principle.

Use during genealogical research and family history work. Sankofa is particularly apt for those engaged in researching family trees, connecting with distant relatives, recovering family stories, or reconstructing cultural lineages.

Use during heritage reconnection work. For those engaged in reconnecting with cultural traditions their families lost touch with — whether through immigration, slavery, forced assimilation, or voluntary cultural disconnection — Sankofa serves as both inspiration and method.

Use during historical study and research. Academics, educators, and students engaged with history benefit from Sankofa's principle of active retrieval rather than passive observation of the past.

Use during healing work involving intergenerational trauma or family patterns. Therapists and healers working with family systems, ancestral healing, or intergenerational trauma patterns often find Sankofa a meaningful conceptual framework.

Use during personal review periods. At the end of years, decades, or life chapters, Sankofa invites intentional review of what was valuable in that period and should be carried forward.

Touch or acknowledge the charm during moments of decision-making. Before significant choices, ask: what does my past tell me about this situation? What have I learned before that applies now? What wisdom from elders, ancestors, or tradition would inform this choice?

Teach the principle to others, particularly younger people. Sankofa is a teaching symbol as much as a personal charm; sharing its wisdom extends its power.

How to Cleanse

Sankofa charms benefit from cleansing methods appropriate to West African traditions and general respectful practices.

Water cleansing, particularly with natural water (river water, rainwater, or blessed water), is traditional in many West African contexts. Hold under flowing water or immerse briefly.

Smoke cleansing with frankincense, myrrh, or traditional African incense is appropriate. African-sourced incense (benzoin, frankincense from the Horn of Africa, traditional church incense from Ethiopian traditions) is culturally connected.

Sunlight for one to two hours refreshes the charm's energy.

Earth burial for one night in clean soil reconnects the charm to earth element and to continuity with the ancestral earth.

Palm oil anointing is traditional in many West African spiritual practices. A very small amount of palm oil rubbed gently onto wooden or metal Sankofa charms is both cleansing and activating. Use sparingly to avoid damage to the charm.

Kola nut offering (a traditional West African offering) placed near the charm briefly is culturally appropriate.

Ancestral altar placement — placing the charm briefly on or near an ancestral altar (if you maintain one) during cleansing — connects it to ongoing ancestral relationship.

Cleanse at significant personal review moments, at the start of major heritage research projects, before important conversations with elders, and whenever the charm's energy has dimmed.

How to Activate

Sankofa activation is a philosophical ceremony that dedicates the charm to the principle of wise retrieval.

Cleanse the charm thoroughly first.

Choose a time and place appropriate to the charm's ancestral associations. Near family photographs or an ancestral altar if you maintain one. In the presence of elder family members (with their awareness and blessing, which can deepen the activation). Outdoors at the threshold between day and night (dawn or dusk) when the temporal themes of Sankofa are most resonant.

Hold the charm in both hands. Consider the Akan tradition from which Sankofa emerged. Acknowledge the originating culture: "I receive this Sankofa charm from the Akan tradition of Ghana and Ivory Coast. I honor the wisdom-keepers of this tradition, both those living and those ancestors who preserved this teaching across centuries."

If you are of African descent, particularly African diaspora descent, this acknowledgment can expand to include the specific dimensions of heritage reclamation that Sankofa addresses for your community. "I honor my ancestors whose connections to their original traditions were severed. I commit to the work of retrieval that Sankofa teaches."

State the principle clearly: "I receive Sankofa's teaching — that it is not taboo to go back and retrieve what has been forgotten. That wise forward movement requires reaching back for what is valuable. That past and present are integrated rather than separated."

Speak specifically about what you will retrieve. Name particular aspects of your past, your family, your heritage, or your development that you will engage with through the charm's presence. "I will research my grandmother's life more fully." "I will revisit the wisdom of my teenage insights that I abandoned in adulthood." "I will reconnect with cultural traditions of my [specific heritage] that my family lost touch with."

Commit to sustained engagement rather than a single ceremony. Sankofa is not a one-time retrieval; it is an ongoing practice.

Offer gratitude — to the Akan tradition, to your ancestors (named or unnamed), to the elders who preserve wisdom, and to your own past self whose contributions you are committing to honor.

Reactivate at significant moments of retrieval — completing genealogical research projects, reconnecting with distant family, completing cultural heritage work — to acknowledge specific manifestations of the principle.

When to Wear

Sankofa charms suit contexts connected to retrieval, heritage, and the integration of past and present.

Wear during genealogical research and family history work.

Wear during heritage reconnection activities — visiting ancestral lands, learning traditional languages, connecting with distant family, engaging with cultural traditions.

Wear during academic study of history, particularly the history of your own lineage, culture, or community.

Wear during personal review periods — end of year, birthdays, significant anniversaries, major life transitions. These are natural moments for Sankofa reflection.

Wear during healing work involving family patterns or intergenerational trauma.

Wear during teaching activities, particularly teaching younger generations about history, culture, or heritage.

Wear during decision-making moments when past wisdom would inform present choice.

Wear during Black History Month, African American Heritage celebrations, Kwanzaa, or other observances that honor African heritage.

Wear during travel to ancestral locations or places of historical significance to your lineage.

Daily wear is appropriate for those whose work regularly involves Sankofa themes — historians, genealogists, cultural educators, family therapists, heritage workers.

Occasional wear is appropriate for those who engage with Sankofa principles periodically but not continuously.

Avoid wearing in contexts that would diminish the charm's seriousness — casual fashion contexts, ironic use, or situations treating African heritage as exotic decoration.

Who Can Use This Charm

Sankofa is broadly accessible and welcomed across many communities, with particular significance in specific contexts.

For Ghanaian and other Akan people, Sankofa is living cultural heritage available for use within the tradition.

For African diaspora people — particularly African Americans but also other communities of African descent in the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere — Sankofa has taken on particular significance as a symbol of heritage reclamation after the rupture of slavery and colonization. Its use by African diaspora people is not only culturally welcomed but considered particularly apt to the specific historical situation.

For non-African practitioners, Sankofa's principle is broadly applicable and engagement is generally welcome when done respectfully.

Acknowledge the source tradition explicitly. Sankofa is Akan (Ghanaian), not generic "African." Know where the symbol comes from.

Source authenticity matters. Ghanaian artisans, African American artisans working with authentic African heritage, and creators with genuine connection to the tradition are ethically strongest sources. Generic commercial "African-style" products from unconnected manufacturers are less grounded.

Apply the principle genuinely. If you wear Sankofa as charm, engage with its teaching — actually do retrieval work, not merely wear the symbol as decoration.

Support African and African diaspora communities when possible. Purchasing from African or African diaspora artisans and supporting cultural initiatives in those communities grounds your engagement in broader respect.

Non-African Americans (of European, Asian, Latin American, Indigenous American, or other heritage) can wear Sankofa as a general reminder of the principle of wise retrieval from one's own heritage. Your own heritage may benefit from Sankofa-style work, and the charm can support that.

Children can wear Sankofa with age-appropriate teaching about its meaning and origins.

The symbol's universal philosophical content (the value of learning from the past) combined with its specific cultural origin (Akan tradition) makes it relatively accessible while still carrying meaningful cultural weight. Engaged respectfully, Sankofa is an excellent choice for many practitioners.

Intentions

Element

This charm is associated with the spirit element.

Pairs well with these crystals

Pairs well with these herbs

Connected tarot cards

These tarot cards share energy with the Sankofa. If one appears in a reading alongside this charm, the message is amplified.

Candle colors that pair with this charm

Frequently asked questions