In Akan language, Sankofa is expressed as “so wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki”. The translation of this African proverb in English language expresses “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot”. Sankofa teaches us the importance of learning from the past to build the future. The Akan language was spoken by the Akan people, they are a Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and in parts of Ivory Coast and Togo in West Africa.
The Sika dwa Kofi (The Golden Stool) in the Ashanti-Twi language, holds a special place in the hearts and minds of the Ashanti people. This magnificent and revered symbol is not just a royal throne; rather, it embodies the essence of power and spirituality for the Asante community. According to ancient legend, the High Priest and co-founder of the Asante Confederacy, Okomfo Anokye, performed a mystifying feat, causing the Golden Stool to descend from the heavens and gently land on the lap of the first Asante king, Osei Tutu. This legendary event marked the inception of a powerful dynasty and solidified the stool’s significance as the ultimate embodiment of the Asante people’s spirit and unity.
If there is symbol to conceptualize the two concept of Sankofa and Sika dwa Kofi, is Hilary MacDonald Beckles Administration Complex, an administration building at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies.
The iconic four storey structure was conceptualised by Sir Hilary, during his tenure as principal at Cave Hill, to reflect the architectural motif of the Golden Stool of the Ashanti that serves as a symbol of cultural identity and the collective wisdom of elders and ancestors.
The building had been loosely but progressively sketched countless-times-over on paper by Sir Hilary and engineers and architects helped give life to his ideas in a way that would reflect the best illustrative example of the appropriateness of African architecture in the Caribbean.
To build is to be human, to have a desire to make a mark in the landscape, to leave behind a legacy for the next generation. I want to believe that Sir Hilary MacDonald Beckles went back to Africa, Ghana and brought to the Caribbean the Golden Stool - the royal and divine throne of kings of the Asante people and the ultimate symbol of power in Asante.
Imagine what can happens if Africa can embrace the spirit of Sankofa in what we do in its contemporary times.
What is your thoughts?
