Sankofa (sang-ko-fah)

A symbol of wisdon and learning from the past to build for the future (Literal meaning: Go Back to Fetch It)

Sankofa means "go back to the past in order to build for the future," or we should not forget our past when moving ahead. We should learn from the past and move forward into the future. Sankofa is a realization of self and spirit. It represents the concepts of self-identity, redefinition and vision. It symbolizes an understanding of one's destiny and collective identity of the larger cultural group.

Sankofa is symbolic of the spiritual mind-set and cultural awakening African people were experiencing in the decades after independence on the African continent. The Sankofa bird is used to represent Sankofa. The symbol is of a bird turning its head backward and its long beak is turned in the direction of its tail.

-The Adinkra Dictionary by Bruce Willis