Group will put forward a new design for Minnesota state seal, flag by next year
MINNEAPOLIS -- By next summer, Minnesota will have a new state flag that supporters of the effort to change it hope will stand out from all the rest.
A provision in the state government budget bill includes a new, 13-member State Emblems Redesign Commission tasked with deciding a new vision for the state's official symbols.
"I don't really know anyone who's been very excited about the flag or wants to fly it in their yard, so I think we'll come up with something people will be proud of," said Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley. "I certainly hope the new flag will be something iconic that represents Minnesota in a significant way."
Group members will be appointed by Aug. 1 and must develop and adopt new designs by January. The old flag and seal will sunset, and the new ones will debut on Statehood Day next year.
Supporters of the change say the current design violates principles of "good flag design," which include meaningful symbols, just a few colors, and no lettering or seals, according to the North American Vexillological Association, a group that studies flags.
Others note its offensive imagery of depicting a white farmer tilling land as a Native American rides on horseback into the distance.
The law says the new designs must "accurately and respectfully reflect Minnesota's shared history, resources, and diverse cultural communities."
"For me it kind of perpetuated a false narrative of what happened to Dakota people in the state," said Angela Two Stars, a member of Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate who works at the Native American Community Development Institute. "It looks like Dakota people are willingly leaving. There's a settler in a field and a Native American on a horse in the background saying like, 'See ya!' and that's definitely not what happened."
The commission will include members of the public appointed by the governor and other organizations, including the Indian Affairs Council, which must appoint one member from the Dakota community and another from the Ojibwe community.
Two Stars said she is excited about the push for something new and the inclusion of a diverse group of voices to weigh in.
"So often this symbolism and imagery is just pretty concrete," she said. "So the fact that Minnesota is open to this idea of reevaluating, reassessing its flag design, I think that's incredible and I think that's gonna do so much for Dakota people here in Minnesota to be valued and seen."
The current flag -- a blue background with the state seal -- has waved over Minnesota since 1957. Several other states have similar flags.
Some Minnesotans have already put forward their own ideas. At Herold Flags in Rochester, owner Lee Herold sells with enthusiasm the "North Star Flag," a design he has pushed for years. A seventh-grade history class in South St. Paul came up with designs of their own.
The group will also include one member appointed by the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, and the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans. Public suggestions and feedback will be required.
