The family tree you may know as “Sokafa” and may even belong to, has now been changed to “Sankofa.” Sankofa was always the original name of the tree intended to be passed on by our parent chapter. This year’s Executive Board has decided to restore its original name, and we want to share its beautiful meaning with you all.
Sankofa is an African word derived from the Akan tribe in Ghana. Sankofa is a compilation of three words: SAN (return), KO (go), and FA (look, take). This combination of words directly translates to “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.” Sankofa symbolizes using the wisdom that comes from learning from our past and bringing it into our future as we grow. The Sankofa symbol, shown below, is a mythical bird that has its head turned back to pick up an egg. This symbolizes the ideology that you must bring traditions and customs from your past into your future so they are not forgotten.
This powerful meaning is something we want to instill in every Alumni and Active Member, which is why we are changing the Sankofa family tree’s naming tradition as well. Bigs in this family will name their Little something from their own culture, childhood, personal memory, etc so that their Little can carry it with them into their own future. This will allow future Active Members to share their own culture with the entire fraternity and family.
We hope you are just as excited and share the same love for the meaning of Sankofa, as we all do. If you are interested in learning more about the history and meaning of Sankofa, please visit https://www.uis.edu/africanamericanstudies/students/sankofa/.
Delta Epsilon Mu 