Minnesota’s new state flag and state seal will officially replace their older counterparts today, Statehood Day. As such, the new flag and seal will be installed at government buildings, agencies, and grounds across the state this weekend.
On May 11, 1858, Minnesota was officially admitted to the Union, becoming the 32nd state. Turning 166 years old on Saturday, Minnesota has used the original state seal design since 1858 and the flag design since 1893. The flag design was modified in 1957.
For months, a commission of citizens, government bureaucrats, and the secretary of state met to select new designs for Minnesota’s state flag and seal. Minnesotans from across the state submitted their designs for the new emblems to the commission. Eventually, the final versions of the new flag and seal were unveiled in December.
According to state law, the commission’s new designs will officially replace the old emblems today, although the Minnesota Legislature could have chosen to intervene. As session progressed, no successful effort to oppose the new designs emerged despite Republicans expressing their distaste for the emblems. Earlier this week, a measure to put the designs before voters in the 2024 election was defeated in the Minnesota House.
After the new designs were unveiled, the Minnesota Republican Party denounced the redesigned flag. As a matter of fact, the state party set up a webpage to “SAVE THE FLAG!” in which it sought to preserve the old flag design.
On Friday, the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative policy think tank, released a poll which found 53% of respondents “prefer to keep the current flag.” Additionally, the Center said 24% support the redesigned flag and seal, while 16% want to “go back to the drawing board” on the emblem designs.
The flag Minnesota has used since 1957 has received criticism for its lack of unique features, similarity to other state flags, and claims of racist imagery. Featuring only the state seal set against a blue backdrop, the 1957 Minnesota flag has a very similar design to flags from other states such as Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Virginia, and others.
Meanwhile, the new state seal has generated less controversy despite appearing to violate state law by featuring a Native American phrase. The emblem commission’s redesigned seal prominently includes the Dakota phrase “Mni Sóta Makoce,” which means “Land of the sky tinted water.”
However, the state law that established the emblems commission specifically says: “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.”
Minnesota’s official motto “L’etoile du Nord,” which is French for “The Star of the North,” was omitted from the new state seal, along with Minnesota’s statehood year, 1858. The original seal included both the official motto and statehood year.
When the new state seal design was debated by the emblems commission, several commission members voted against including the Dakota phrase in the new state seal after Rep. Bjorn Olson, R-Fairmont, raised concerns that the phrase’s inclusion conflicted with state law and could result in a lawsuit.
Despite these warnings, the commission approved the seal with the Dakota phrase included.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
