What's on the new Minnesota state seal?
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Along with rolling out a new state flag, Minnesota will use its newly designed seal on official government documents starting on Saturday.
The image on the chosen seal features a loon rising from a lake. On the left hand side, there are stalks of wild rice, and on the left are two red pines — the state tree — along with the north star. The two trees symbolize the Twin Cities, and are in the shape of an "M" to represent Minnesota, according to notes in the original submission.
The old seal, which has been in use since 1861, was criticized for its imagery of a White settler plowing the land as a Native American man on horseback rode off in the distance. The flag featured the seal on a blue background, which experts said violated "good flag design" tenets, which value simplicity and meaningful symbols.
Last year, the DFL-led legislature created the State Emblems Redesign Commission, a 13-member voting panel of lawmakers, to approve a replacement design for the seal and flag. The designs were to "respectfully reflect Minnesota's shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities."
The seal was designed by Ross Bruggink, who wanted to strike a balance of "simplicity and pride." After there was a public outcry because none of the final flag designs featured a loon, Bruggink said he felt his seal design was a strong contender, as it was the only finalist to feature the state bird.
The commission asked him to tweak elements of his original design and voted to take off the phrase "L'Etoile du Nord," the state motto, from the center of the seal above the loon. Instead, they opted to include "Mni Sota Makoce," the Dakota phrase from which the state gets its name. It translates to "land where the water reflects the clouds."
Native American members of the redesign commission also advocated strongly for the removal of the year that Minnesota became a state, 1858, arguing that it is traumatizing for their communities.
Bruggink said he was honored to have the opportunity to create something so meaningful.
"People are passionate about this, which is a good sign. And I'm excited that this will be here for the state for years to come," he said.
Note: The video above originally aired on Dec. 8, 2023.