UNITED STATES NEWS

Minnesota seeks unifying symbol to replace state flag considered offensive to Native Americans

Sep 5, 2023, 2:00 PM

FILE - The Minnesota state flag is displayed in the state Capitol building rotunda, March 24, 2022,...

FILE - The Minnesota state flag is displayed in the state Capitol building rotunda, March 24, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. A state commission went to work Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, on designing a new state flag and seal for Minnesota to replace a current emblem in both that's considered offensive to Native Americans. (Mohamed Ibrahim/Report for America via AP, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(Mohamed Ibrahim/Report for America via AP, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state commission went to work Tuesday on designing a new state flag and seal for Minnesota to replace a current emblem in both that’s considered offensive to Native Americans.

One of the main elements of Minnesota’s state flag includes a prominent state seal against a blue background. The seal depicts a Native American riding off into the sunset while a white settler plows his field with his rifle leaning on a nearby stump. The imagery suggests to many that the Indigenous people were defeated and going away, while whites won and were staying.

Not only do the state’s Dakota and Ojibwe tribes consider that offensive, but experts in the scientific and scholarly study of flags — known as vexillology — say it’s an overly complicated design.

Guidelines from the North American Vexillological Association say flags should be simple but meaningful, with just a few colors, easily recognizable from a distance, and without seals or lettering. The association ranks Minnesota in 67th place out of 72 U.S. and Canadian state and provincial flags. Minnesota’s design dates from 1957, an evolution from the 1893 original.

Minnesota is joining several other states in new state flag with a magnolia and the phrase “In God We Trust” to replace a Confederate-themed flag that had been used by Ku Klux Klan groups and was widely condemned as racist.

Other states considering simplifying their flags include Maine, where voters will decide next year whether to replace their current banner with a retro version featuring a simple pine tree and blue North Star, as well as Michigan and Illinois.

The Democratic-controlled Minnesota Legislature earlier this year tasked its commission — which includes representatives of the state’s tribal and other communities of color — with producing new designs for the flag and seal by Jan 1. Unless the Legislature rejects them, the new emblems will automatically become official on April 1, 2024, which Minnesota observes as Statehood Day.

“What I am looking forward to is creating a flag that we can all be proud of, and a flag that everybody can look at and say: ”Yeah, that’s Minnesota’s flag. That’s a cool flag. That’s very distinctive,” said the commission’s vice chair, Anita Gall, who teaches state history at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington.

In contrast to flags, state seals, which are used among other things to stamp official documents, can be more intricate, said Democratic Rep. Mike Freiberg, of Golden Valley, an author of the legislation for the new emblems.

Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon, who sits on the panel, noted that one of his official duties is to serve as keeper of the state seal. “These are enduring symbols and emblems meant to last not just decades, but one or more centuries,” Simon said. “And so it’s a big responsibility.”

Two Republican legislators with nonvoting seats on the panel urged their colleagues to choose designs that will be unifying symbols.

Rep. Bjorn Olson, of Fairmont, said the change will be difficult for him, as a student of history and as a captain in the Army Reserve, because outnumbered soldiers from Minnesota staged a critical charge that helped hold the Union line against advancing Confederate forces in the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. The 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment suffered heavy casualties while carrying a flag that was similar to the current design, he said.

“I know that there’s many Minnesotans that think we need a new flag and there’s many that don’t,” said Sen. Steve Drazkowski, of Mazeppa. “Obviously, the decision is made — we’re going to have a new flag. And so my goal going forward … is that we have a flag that doesn’t represent one idea or one ideology or one anything, but represents all of Minnesota.”

United States News

Associated Press

Powerball draws number for giant $960 million jackpot

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The numbers were drawn Saturday night for an estimated $960 million Powerball jackpot and players across the country are waiting to see if there’s a big winner. The winning numbers announced were: 19, 30, 37, 44, 46 and red Powerball 22. Lottery official usually take several hours to determine if […]

17 minutes ago

In this Sept. 15, 1966, file photo, then Georgia State Sen. Jimmy Carter hugs his wife, Rosalynn, a...

Associated Press

Jimmy Carter admirers across generations celebrate the former president’s 99th birthday

Attendees on Saturday saw tributes to Jimmy Carter and competed in rounds of trivia that highlighted underappreciated details about his life.

28 minutes ago

FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the chamber at the Capitol in Washingt...

Associated Press

U.S. government avoids shutdown hours before deadline

The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday hours before a midnight deadline and sent the measure to President Joe Biden.

2 hours ago

Associated Press

UN to vote on resolution to authorize one-year deployment of armed force to help Haiti fight gangs

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduling a vote Monday on a resolution that would authorize a one-year deployment of an international force to help Haiti quell a surge in gang violence and restore security so the troubled Caribbean nation can hold long-delayed elections. The U.S.-drafted resolution obtained by The […]

4 hours ago

Associated Press

The police chief who led a raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended

The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was […]

7 hours ago

FILE - Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., listens to fellow speakers before President Joe Biden speaks on ...

Associated Press

Rep. Jamaal Bowman triggered a fire alarm in a House office building amid voting on a funding bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman acknowledged triggering a fire alarm Saturday in one of the U.S. Capitol office buildings as lawmakers scrambled to pass a bill to fund the government before the midnight shutdown deadline. The fire alarm sounded out around noon in the Cannon House Office Building and prompted a building-wide evacuation […]

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

Minnesota seeks unifying symbol to replace state flag considered offensive to Native Americans