Minnesota changed its state flag. But why?
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota's new flag went into official use Saturday, which has many wondering about the reason for the change. The controversial replacement of the old flag requires an explanation of that emblem's history.
The legislature established the State Emblems Redesign Commission during the 2023 session to redesign Minnesota's flag and seal.
The reason for the change, according to state officials, was twofold. Primarily, officials were concerned with the scene depicted on the old flag, which many found offensive. First adopted in 1957, the flag showed a White settler tilling land as an Indigenous man rides horseback. Indigenous members of the State Emblem Redesign Commission said it was harmful to their communities and promoted the "erasure" of their people from the land.
"Our current flag is problematic. I think we all know that. We've evolved into a more diverse state and I think it's more reflective of that," Gov. Tim Walz said.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, refused to use the old flag.
The offensive nature of the design is not a new notion, either. In 1983, the state seal and flag were slightly tweaked. While the pre-1983 iteration showed the Indigenous figure riding away from the settler, the modified version angled the rider slightly toward them.
According to state statute, the new design needed to "accurately and respectfully reflect Minnesota's shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities." The statute also stated "symbols, emblems, or likenesses that represent only a single community or person, regardless of whether real or stylized, may not be included in a design."
The flag was also criticized on an aesthetic level, with detractors noting it violated principles of "good flag design," according to the North American Vexillological Association — meaningful symbols, just a few colors and no lettering or seals. Others criticized it for being too similar to other state flags.
Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Melissa Hortman summed it up best.
"We changed the flag for a reason. In addition to it being a poor design, it was offensive to a large number of people," Hortman said.
Some Republican state lawmakers tried to halt the rollout of the new flag, arguing Minnesotans deserved more of a say in the matter, but their efforts floundered in the Democrat-controlled legislature.